WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has hailed the "good step" taken by Sam Darcy as he bounced back to goalkicking form with a starring performance against North Melbourne.
Darcy kicked a career-best seven goals as the Bulldogs all but secured a finals berth with a 96-point hammering of the Kangaroos at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
BULLDOGS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats
The 208cm target was under pressure after kicking a wayward 1.5 in the previous round but responded superbly with 7.1.
Darcy took nine marks, including four contested, and had 20 disposals on his way to kicking the second biggest bag of goals by any player this season.
North Melbourne battled away after losing key defender Charlie Comben (concussion/leg) and substitute Miller Bergman (concussion) to injuries.
"It was not ideal for the Kangas to lose Comben like they did, so if we got the supply right and gave (our key forwards) a bit of a look it was always going to be a bit of a challenge for them to defend him," Beveridge said of the 21-year-old Darcy.
"But ultimately, as far as the game between the ears goes, to see the way he was able to take a deep breath and convert and not even really worry too much about last week, that was a good step for Sam."
The Bulldogs restricted North Melbourne to just three goals after quarter-time in a strong response to their shock loss to Adelaide a week earlier.
"We needed to get a few things back on track after what happened last week, and so the way the game panned out after (quarter-time) was important and pleasing for us," Beveridge said.
North Melbourne's heaviest defeat of the season was made worse when Comben and Bergman were both hurt in marking contest collisions.
Comben, who missed most of last season after breaking his left leg, was taken to hospital during Sunday's match after injuring the same leg.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson was unsure of the extent of the damage when asked about it after the game.
Clarkson found few positives out of his side's seventh consecutive loss to the Bulldogs.
"They're a really good side and they made us hurt in the middle of the ground," he said.
"Their capacity to control the ball by hand and foot was outstanding today."