THE WESTERN Bulldogs are back in the finals race again, squaring their season at 4-4 after a scrappy 16-point win against Brisbane at Mars Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions looked in complete control of the game early. However, the Dogs hung in, aided by missed shots from their counterparts, before gaining ascendancy in the second half on their way to a 13.14 (92) to 11.10 (76) victory.

DOGS TOO GOOD Full match coverage and stats

Brisbane spearhead Eric Hipwood was the worst culprit, booting 0.5 in the first half before bagging a couple of second-half goals.

The Dogs had their own troubles in the forward line as well. Prodigiously talented tall Aaron Naughton didn't touch it in the first term as he struggled to follow up his epic performance against Richmond last week.

However, his goal to end the first half after the siren somehow gave the Dogs the lead, despite Brisbane having dominated much of the contest to that point.

That proved to be a turning point for Naughton, coming to the fore in the third term and giving his side a real target, on his way to kicking three goals.

Josh Dunkley fought hard in the clinches all day, finishing with 36 disposals and 24 contested possessions, while his goal to end the third term gave his side a 21-point lead.

Alongside him, Jack Macrae starred and Lachie Hunter won plenty of the football, combining for 60 disposals.

A brilliant early banana from Ed Richards would ordinarily have been goal of the day.

However, in-form Lion Mitch Robinson probably pipped him in the third term, running back courageously to mark with his arms outstretched and then running on and slotting an outstanding goal from 55m.

Having gone to school in Ballarat, Brisbane young gun Hugh McCluggage was sublime. He racked up 14 disposals in the opening term and had a couple of clean one-handed pick-ups on the run to underline his class in cold conditions.

His second-quarter goal epitomised how he thrived where others struggled.

However, he slowed down from there and ended with 26 disposals and 14 contested possessions.

MEDICAL ROOM
Western Bulldogs: In his 50th career game, and just 13th since helping the Dogs win the 2016 premiership, key defender Fletcher Roberts had his left shoulder assessed late in the second term after going hard in an aerial contest but returned to the field. 

Brisbane: Backman Zac Bailey hobbled off midway through the opening term after reaching for his left hamstring and despite testing it out, soon had the muscle iced. It had been his first game since the Lions' round three win over Port Adelaide, when he suffered a hamstring injury. Tough onballer Jarrod Berry was helped off early in the last quarter after hurting his right eye while laying a tackle on Zaine Cordy and didn't come back. 

NEXT UP
Brisbane is back home next Saturday afternoon to take on Adelaide while the Dogs face the unenviable task of trying to beat Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on the same day.

WESTERN BULLDOGS             3.1       7.4       11.12   13.14 (92)
BRISBANE                               4.4       6.8       8.9       11.10 (76)

GOALS
Western Bulldogs: Naughton 3, Richards 2, Lloyd 2, Hayes, Wallis, Bontempelli, Macrae, Suckling, Dunkley
Brisbane: Robinson 3, Hipwood 2, Zorko 2, Neale, Berry, McCluggage, McStay 

BEST 
Western Bulldogs: Dunkley, Macrae, Hunter, Naughton, Lloyd, Liberatore
Brisbane: McCluggage, Neale, Lyons, Robinson, Rich, Zorko 

INJURIES 
Western Bulldogs: English (soreness) replaced by Roberts
Brisbane: Bailey (left hamstring), Berry (right eye)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Hosking, Findlay, Dore

Official crowd: 9,039 at Mars Stadium