Records have tumbled at Marvel Stadium as Western Bulldogs forward Josh Bruce bagged a career-best 10-goal haul in his team's thrashing of the Kangaroos.
Bruce became the first man to kick over eight goals for the club since ex-skipper Brad Johnson back in 2007, as the Bulldogs ran out 25. 17. (167) to 5. 9. (39) winners.
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With a lot of the pre-match talk surrounding whether North Melbourne deserved the marquee Good Friday slot, the Bulldogs did them no favours, with the 128-point margin between the two teams the largest in the club's history.
It was a welcome haul for Bruce, who has struggled to find form since he joined the Bulldogs from St Kilda via the 2019 trade period. Incredibly, the 10-goal haul was Bruce's third consecutive match of six or more goals against the Kangaroos.
"Once you get the first couple underway, you feel like you're on top of the ground," Bruce told Fox Footy after the match.
"The match-up was favourable and our midfield is just incredible. It's really special to be able to play in front of our fans and putting on a show in front of our fans.
"I had my critics last year and it was probably warranted. I was a little bit out of shape and definitely out of form.
"It's really pleasing to get a reward for the hard work I've put in over the last five to six months."
The Bulldogs' win continued their unbeaten start to the season, with their 3-0 mark their first since the start of the 2009 season, a year where they reached the preliminary finals.
Bruce was far from the only Bulldogs player to have a dominant outing, with Luke Beveridge's all-star midfield once again destroying their opponents.
Jack Macrae and Josh Dunkley were the leading ball-getters for the Bulldogs, with 33 disposals apiece, while Adam Treloar played his best game since his off-season move, finishing with 27 disposals and three goals.
The Bulldogs will hope to carry their good form into next week when they host the resurgent Brisbane Lions, while the Kangaroos face the Adelaide Crows next.
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