While the 2020 AFL season is on hold, westernbulldogs.com.au will take fans on a journey of re-discovery, examining some of the most pivotal on-field Bulldog moments from the last two decades.

Dogs fans won’t have to dig too deep into their memory banks for today’s ‘Momentous Moment’ – the jaw-dropping 21-goal streak against Essendon last season which propelled them towards the finals. 

Midway through the 2019 season, the Bulldogs were just about written off as a finals contender.  With four wins from 11 games, and pressure mounting, the Dogs went into the mid-season bye having suffered a 10-goal loss to West Coast. 

But something clicked in the second half of the year, and out of nowhere the Bulldogs were charging towards an unlikely top-eight berth. 

With two games to go, the equation was simple – win the remaining matches against Essendon and Adelaide, and the Dogs would compete in the finals for the first time since 2016. 

The Bombers themselves were fighting for their place in the September action, so the Round 21 clash between the sides had plenty on the line. 

Essendon started perfectly, with Dylan Shiel slotting a major in the first 30 seconds.  But what happened next was remarkable. 

The Dogs kicked six straight goals to finish the first term.  Then another four unanswered in the second.  Then another six without reply in the third.

They kicked another five to start the final stanza to stretch the margin to 123 points.

The Bombers kicked the last three goals of the game, but it didn’t prevent its greatest ever losing margin against the Bulldogs, and Luke Beveridge’s highest winning margin as an AFL coach.

More importantly, the four points and massive percentage boost catapulted the Dogs into the top eight, clearing their path for them to compete in the 2019 finals series.