WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has praised Sam Darcy's maturity to bounce back from a horror first quarter and play a crucial role in Friday night's 18-point win over Collingwood.

Early in the game, Darcy clattered into Collingwood's Brayden Maynard late, giving up a 50m penalty – resulting in a goal – and starting a scuffle, before giving up another 50m penalty minutes later for running into the protected area.

"(Darcy) mentioned to me that he thought he could get to the contest, he thought he could get to the ball, and so his momentum carried him through," Beveridge said post-match of the incident.

"The message was just that the start's been a bit shaky from everyone, and it's just important that he restarts and focuses on what he's capable of."

Darcy went on to play a crucial role in the win, kicking three goals – including the sealer – and taking five contested marks, making his presence felt in the air. That marking strength allowed the Dogs to wrestle back control after giving up five goals in the opening quarter.

"At times when it was trampolining out of (our forward 50) a bit too easy and a bit too quickly and putting our defenders under pressure in space," Beveridge said.

"It was a difficult game to get a handle on and contain (Collingwood's) momentum. So, for Sam to be able to let us breathe and have a set shot or two… he was such an important one of the 23."

While Darcy was starring in attack, Dogs duo Marcus Bontempelli and Adam Treloar were going toe-to-toe with Nick Daicos in the middle of the ground.

Describing all three as "match-winning midfielders", Beveridge said it took until the final quarter for the Dogs to find an answer for Daicos.

"We didn't contain Nick early in the game, we were trying to, and then we went with a different approach during the third quarter and it was OK. But we asked Adam to go to Nick at the stoppages in the last quarter, and Adam's last quarter was enormous," Beveridge said.

The coach also noted that Bontempelli – who registered 38 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals for the game – played the whole last quarter to surge his side over the line.

"He was pretty fatigued, but you know, on a night like tonight when we needed everyone to stand up, as the skipper he was enormous," Beveridge said.