Don't put a line through them just yet.
The Western Bulldogs head into August still alive after winning a final in July by sending a statement that they can do some damage in September. If they get there.
Luke Beveridge's men smashed the GIANTS by 88 points at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night to make it nine wins from the past 10 meetings between the two sides.
The equation was simple - win and remain in the hunt for finals. They will need to win at least three of the final four to qualify for September. They ticked off the first test emphatically.
They are now 2-8 against top-eight sides in 2025, but have rarely played at this level, which raises the oft-asked question of the Bulldogs: How far they can go?
Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton dominated for the second week in a row, kicking five goals each to combine for 10 goals, while leaving even more scores out there in the 19.18 (132) to 6.8 (44) win. The pair have now combined for 60 goals across the past eight rounds since Darcy returned from a knee injury in round 14.
Naughton has never produced a better patch of football in his career, continuing to build his case for a maiden All-Australian blazer after recovering from a slow start to the year to now be second in the Coleman Medal on 50 goals, behind only Jeremy Cameron.
Tim English dominated around stoppages and pushed forward to stretch the GIANTS with a third tall target inside 50, finishing with 2.3 from 20 disposals, 11 marks and 22 hitouts.
Toby Greene, Jack Buckley, Josh Kelly and Brent Daniels were inside Marvel Stadium, but they were not playing as the Bulldogs produced their most dominant start of the season, kicking six goals to one after amassing 20-5 inside 50s in a first-quarter blitz. Darcy and English both kicked 2.1, while Caleb Poulter hauled in four marks in attack to leave the GIANTS stunned for the second week in a row.
Nothing changed in the second quarter. Lachie McNeill kicked the first three scores of the term, converting two of them after missing the easiest. Naughton kicked two goals in two minutes, juggling the second mark in front of Leek Aleer, before receiving a 50m penalty to punish the GIANTS. The Dogs had five more goals on the board 15 minutes into the second quarter.
It took until time-on for Aaron Cadman to finally kick the GIANTS' second, but the momentum didn't shift, Naughton kicked a third before the main break. The usual suspects – Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards – were busy but this was no one-man show. The full orchestra performed. The Dogs had 81 points on the board – their highest first-half score of 2025 – by the main break.
Jake Stringer gave the GIANTS a pulse at the start of the third quarter, drilling a set shot from the pocket to silence Marvel Stadium. It planted the seed. St Kilda recovered from 46 points down inside this ground to stun Melbourne on Sunday. The GIANTS recovered from 35 points down last Friday night to eventually win by 44 points in the Sydney Derby.
Lightning wouldn't strike twice in Docklands.
Adam Kingsley's side matched the Dogs for the quarter, until Darcy slotted a goal after the siren to extend the margin to a game-high 67 points. Sam Taylor and his defenders couldn't stop Naughton or Darcy.
For the fourth time in 2025, the Bulldogs have won by 80-plus points, flaunting their scoring prowess and breathing life into a finals race, which would have been all but finalised if they lost on Thursday night.
The GIANTS had won six games in a row before arriving in Melbourne, but didn't look anything like a premiership contender under the bright lights of Thursday night football.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 6.5 12.9 16.13 19.18 (132)
GIANTS 1.2 3.2 6.6 6.8 (44)
GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 5, Darcy 5, McNeil 3, English 2, Poulter, West, Kennedy, Richards
GIANTS: Riccardi 2, Cadman 2, Bedford, Stringer
INJURIES
Western Bulldogs: Nil
GIANTS: McMullin (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
Western Bulldogs: Laitham Vandermeer (replaced Caleb Poulter in the fourth quarter)
GIANTS: Harry Rowston (replaced Toby McMullin in the second quarter)
