Midfielder Will Hayes and forward Tory Dickson were among the standouts as the Western Bulldogs put together an impressive scratch match display on Saturday.

The Bulldogs – plus a couple of Richmond players – ended up 35 points ahead after three 20-minute quarters against an Essendon side also featuring a number of Tigers.

Hayes and Dickson kicked two goals each and had a big impact on proceedings, as did Billy Gowers who split his time between midfield and forward to slot three majors.

Riley Garcia was also impressive – and snared his first goal as a Bulldog – with Fergus Greene, Cody Weightman and Brad Lynch kicking a goal each.

“We’d had some feedback from the players (from previous matches) around trying to let them understand what the score is and I think that gives them a bit of excitement and understanding about where the game’s at,” coach Daniel Giansiracusa said.

“After the first 10 minutes, we clicked into gear and the game looked how we wanted it to.

“We played three 20-minute quarters and were against the wind for two of them, but it was quite a dominant performance from our guys in the end which was pleasing. 

“From a senior point of view, having good contributions from guys in practice matches will make it hard to pick a team for Melbourne, which is what we’re looking for.”

Daniel Giansiracusa on the standouts…

Will Hayes

“He’s put two really solid performances in now. That was probably his best game since we’ve been in the hub. From a wing point of view, he was good around the contest, he got back defensively to take a few good marks and help there and kicked two great goals on the run. He had a really balanced game and we know at his best he definitely has AFL attributes and he’ll start to put pressure on guys in the side, which is what we’re looking for.”

Tory Dickson

“The pleasing thing with Dicko is he was so selfless. He kicked a couple, but he would have had four or five score assists. He put his teammates into better positions and got a couple of opportunities through good pressure. Essentially that’s what you’re looking for from a forward – being able to influence the scoreboard and also put defensive pressure on. He worked extremely hard, and second game back from injury he’s starting to build a bit of form to put some pressure on guys playing in the senior team.”

Riley Garcia

“He’s making up for lost time, obviously coming back from that knee injury. We’re getting some quality minutes into him and he’s progressing really well. He started in the middle and when he’s around the ball he definitely makes things happen, whether it’s being physical or finding the footy. He still has plenty to work on, but we’ve been really impressed with how he’s attacked the game and listened and the way he’s evolving.” 

Billy Gowers

“We’re trying to split his time between mid and forward. He’s one who had some good energy in the first 10 minutes, when others around him probably didn’t. He’s a big body who should really dominate at that level, and it was good to see him use his legs and burst out of congestion and use his power and speed. He was another one who was able to hit the scoreboard.”