TEN ROUNDS into the season, with a winter chill in the air for the first time all year, the contenders are starting to separate themselves.
Essendon wasn't considered by many to be a legitimate finals hope this year, but the popular wisdom about the Western Bulldogs varied much more wildly.
Based on the scintillating 91-point demolition of the Dons, 18.19 (127) to 5.6 (36), it's time to start taking the Dogs as a premiership threat.
Aside from a goalless opening 10 minutes, the Bombers were outplayed for the entire game, with stagnant and sideways ball movement unable to pierce the Dogs' full-ground defence.
Such were the ball-winning ways of the Western Bulldogs, half-back Bailey Dale had an equal-career high 39 touches just before three-quarter time, and broke the club record of 47 held by Jack Macrae and Ryan Griffen to finish with 49.
Bailey Williams had a chance to deliver the ball to Dale for number 50, but turned away and kicked forward, putting his hands to his head when he realised, while the crowd let out an audible sigh when the final siren went.
Marcus Bontempelli set the tone early, looking a class above whether it was pushing back for an intercept, delivering a laser pass inside 50, kicking the opening goal or setting up the second.
The Dogs' pressure then kicked into gear as the ball lived in their forward line for the quarter.
The defensive errors compounded for Essendon. Buku Khamis was left on the goal line by himself. Tim English had enough to fumble one metre out and creatively flick the ball backwards, for a completely free Tom Liberatore to pounce.
The margin was 42 at the first break. Essendon had just three points to its name. The Western Bulldogs kicked seven goals for the term, all in the space of 20 minutes. The game was done.
It was one of those matches where soaring confidence meant every one-handed mark was hauled in, every speculative snap curled truly, and every smother was well and truly landed.
By contrast, the Bomber fans were appeased with a strong mark across the pack and snap goal from Xavier Duursma, the team's first major coming 17 minutes into the second quarter.
Nic Martin took a stunning mark back with the flight and was met heavily by Sam Davidson, with a 50m penalty paid, but the Dog appeared to be legitimately contesting the mark himself.
It was a poor night for the Dons, with Martin, Archie Roberts and Mason Redman trying hard, while ruck Todd Goldstein performed well in the stoppages. Sam Durham provided a spark when the first-quarter tag on Ed Richards was released.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 7.3 10.8 15.13 18.19 (127)
ESSENDON 0.3 1.3 4.4 5.6 (36)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: West 4, Khamis 3, Richards 2, Bontempelli 2, McNeil, Vandermeer, Liberatore, Naughton, Davidson, Kennedy, Williams
Essendon: Duursma, Martin, Perkins, Durham, Wright
BEST
Western Bulldogs: Dale, Liberatore, West, Bontempelli, Richards, Khamis
Essendon: Durham, Goldstein, Redman, Roberts
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Jones (hamstring)
Essendon: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Lachie Bramble (replaced Jones in the second term)
Essendon: Dylan Shiel (replaced El-Hawli at half-time)
Crowd: 47,266 at Marvel Stadium
