THE WESTERN Bulldogs have notched up their first win of the season with a convincing 78-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium.

The Bulldogs kicked 19.9 (123) to 6.9 (45).

The Lions had their bursts, an unrewarded first five minutes of the game and a brief purple patch midway through the second quarter. But their flashes of form were few and far between as the Bulldogs held control for much of the day.

The Lions barely fired a shot in the second half until James Polkinghorne booted two long goals in as many minutes to restore some pride.

Second-gamer Tom Liberatore was sensational for the Bulldogs in the first half before waning a little in the second. He had nine tackles, six of which came in the first quarter while also getting his hands on the ball 28 times.

Barry Hall looked dangerous from an early stage of the game and finished with three goals. He was subbed off in the third quarter as a conservative response to some back spasms.

Question marks hovered over the Lions pre-match with Jonathan Brown missing the first of many games with a face injury.

But it can't be forgotten that the Bulldogs had their share of absences in defence with Brian Lake, Lindsay Gilbee and Ryan Hargrave all watching on.

Matthew Boyd and Ryan Griffen were the main reasons for the Bulldogs' centre square dominance and were probably the two best players for the day while Robert Murphy's class and composure from the back half was a key factor.

Acting captain Jed Adcock was one of the Lions' side's best, with some aggression off half-back. He finished with 26 touches for the day while Rohan Bewick was one of the Lions' best in just his second AFL game, floating between half-back and half-forward.

Influential players
Griffen and Boyd starred in the midfield while Robert Murphy and Dale Morris ensured the ball went out of the Lions' attacking 50 as quickly as it came in.
Adam Cooney dominated the centre clearances while Jed Adcock was one of few Lions who could walk away happy with their individual performance.
Bulldogs newcomers Tom Liberatore and Justin Sherman have taken no time settling into the side and were key factors on the day.

What it means
It took until the second week of the home and away season but the Bulldogs have shown why so many pre-season pundits were tipping them to be grand finalists. It sets them up for a good couple of weeks as they take on Gold Coast next week before the bye in round four.

For the Lions, it was a worrying sign of things to come in a world without Jonathan Brown and to a lesser extent Brent Staker.

The next four
Western Bulldogs: It's a home game against the Suns next week which may as well be a guaranteed four points. After the break, it's a tough three weeks coming up with Collingwood sandwiched in between interstate trips to play Fremantle and the Sydney Swans.

Brisbane Lions: The Lions are back in Melbourne next week to take on the Demons before taking a week off. After the bye they host the Saints at the Gabba, then face Richmond at the MCG before the long-awaited derby with Gold Coast at the Gabba.

Dream Team highlight
Western Bulldogs: The best bargains are always found with draftees who make an instant impact. This year, look no further than Tom Liberatore who racked up 116 points on Sunday. If you don't already have him, get him in before his price shoots up.

Brisbane Lions: Jed Adcock was snapped up by plenty of coaches after an injury-riddled 2010 brought his price down significantly. His 112 on Sunday justifies his popularity in the fantasy game.

What the coaches said
Rodney Eade:
"I always knew they were going to answer from last week. It really wasn't the scoreline, even though that was pleasing. It was more the way went about it. I think the work rate was there today. We still made a few errors and turned the ball over and mucked around with it a bit. So there's still a bit to work on but overall I was pretty pleased we took some steps forward.  

Michael Voss:
"We matched them inside 50 wise, so we were getting the ball down there plenty of times but they were a bit more efficient at ground level getting that ball out. Their work around congestion was the feature of their game and not one of ours. As a result, they got through our midfield space pretty easy at times and got over the top of that space and worked our defenders back in towards 50."

Turning point
The Lions were on top in the opening minutes of the game, with five inside 50s to none. But they couldn't convert their chances as the ball bounced from end to end. But at the 11-minute mark Barry Hall put an end to that nonsense with a trademark lead and goal from the 50m mark. From that point on, the Bulldogs were in charge.

Magic Moment
Like any player coming up against their old club, Justin Sherman was keen to make a statement to the Lions. That statement came in the second term when he was under pressure and forced on to his left boot. Instead he chose a running check side kick that defied the teachings of junior football coaches around the nation but still resulted in a goal.

Western Bulldogs          5.4   10.4   14.7     19.9  (123)
Brisbane Lions                0.2   3.5     4.7       6.9  (45)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Hall 3, Griffin 3, Higgins 3, Giansiracusa 2, Boyd 2, Hill, Jones, Sherman, Grant, Ward, Djerrkura
Brisbane Lions: Redden 2, Polkinghorne 2, Lester, Clark

BEST
Western Bulldogs: Griffen, Boyd, Cooney, Cross, Williams, Liberatore, Hill
Brisbane Lions: Black, Buchanan, Adcock, Bewick, Redden, Rich, Rockliff

INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: None
Brisbane Lions: Matt Maguire (quad) replaced in selected side by Broc McCauley

SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Barry Hall replaced by Nathan Djerrkura in the third quarter
Brisbane Lions: Broc McCauley replaced by Claye Beams in the third quarter.

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Dalgleish, Meredith, Wenn

Official crowd: 22,331 at Etihad Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL