Western Bulldogs leader Bailey Hunt says it was pleasing to see the team rewarded for their efforts on Sunday afternoon against Richmond.

After a rusty performance against GWS following a two-week COVID hiatus, backed up by a close loss to Fremantle on Tuesday, the Bulldogs finally came out on top with a 17-point triumph at VU Whitten Oval.

Hunt said it was enjoyable to register their first win of the 2022 season.

“It was hot conditions for both teams – so it was just about who wanted to dig deep and make the most of it,” Hunt said post-match.

“I thought at times we were a bit fatigued, but just kept pushing. In the end we got the choccies which was good.”

The Bulldogs won the contested possessions 112-87, marks 52-38, and inside 50s 29-21, while increasing their disposal efficiency from 55% against Fremantle to 67% against Richmond. 

Hunt said there was a real focus on composure throughout the week.

“We’ve been getting our hands on the footy – our contested footy numbers have actually been quite high, but we’ve just been falling away at our kicking efficiency and uncontested marks,” she said.

“We probably lacked composure when we had the ball too – so a big focus at training this week was composure with the footy, hit those short targets and actually try and control it, rather than just bombing it in long.

“We just want to give our forwards the best chance – which in patches I think we actually did well.”

The Bulldogs’ next challenge will come against Adelaide at Norwood Oval on Sunday afternoon.