THE WESTERN Bulldogs' win over Gold Coast hardly matched anyone's definition of an aesthetically pleasing contest, but it was the kind of game dyed-in-the-wool Doggies fans have been waiting almost two decades to witness.

It represented the first time three young men bearing famous Bulldog names have made strong contributions in the same AFL match.

Prized father-son selections Tom Liberatore (the son of Tony, who played 283 games and won the 1990 Brownlow Medal), Mitch Wallis (son of Steve - 261 games) and Ayce Cordy (son of Brian - 124 games) warmed many red, white and blue hearts with their efforts in humid, slippery conditions at Darwin's TIO Stadium.

Between them, this trio has played 42 games (Liberatore 23 games, Wallis 12, Cordy seven), but just twice have they all managed to play together.

The first was in the 42-point win over Greater Western Sydney at Canberra's Manuka Oval in round five. They were solid performers that day as well - Cordy played his best game with 13 touches, seven marks and a goal, Wallis had 25 disposals, while Liberatore, the substitute, came on after half-time and had 14 possessions.

But as a group this developing threesome had more impact against the Suns.

Wallis (25 possessions, including 10 contested, six clearances and five tackles) and Liberatore (24 possessions, including 13 contested, seven clearances, six tackles and a goal) were two of the Dogs' generators in the midfield.

Wallis, 19 and the youngest of the three, is fast becoming a master of the hardball gather-and-give, generally delivered with speed, precision and desperation while on hands and knees. It's a valued blue-collar skill mastered by veteran teammate Daniel Cross, and before him Cross' former midfield mate Scott West, himself an old teammate of Wallis' father Steve. Liberatore is no slouch in that area, either.

"Young Libba", who turned 20 last week, kicked the Bulldogs' first goal against the Suns - via a neat snap on his trusty left foot after scooping an errant Liam Jones handball from his bootstraps.

Cordy, 21, was also dangerous in attack in conditions that didn’t seem to suit any style of player, much less a 203-centimetre forward. His stats weren’t startling (seven disposals, three marks and 1.2) but he had an impact.

Cordy failed to capitalise after taking a semi-screamer late in the first quarter, but converted an important goal from a free kick late in the third term to give the Dogs a 19-point buffer.

Mick Malthouse, who coached each of their fathers back in the '80s, has expressed his excitement and obvious pride at their progress, and believes each has the potential to become high quality AFL players for many years. On the evidence of Saturday night, it's hard to argue with the three-time premiership coach.