THE WESTERN Bulldogs have cashed in against a listless Essendon, boosting their percentage ahead of finals and sending the Bombers plummeting to new depths with an 87-point win at Etihad Stadium.

In one of the Bombers' most dispiriting performances under coach James Hird, they conceded 18 goals in the last three quarters to lose 19.13 (127) to 5.10 (40) and falling into the bottom four on the ladder.

Hird's team could only muster two goals in the first half on their way to an eighth loss in nine games, with supporters filing out of the home game from late in the third quarter.

Once the fast and efficient Bulldogs broke the game open in the opening minutes of the second quarter the result was a foregone conclusion, with the extent of the damage the only question remaining.  

Five talking points: Essendon v Western Bulldogs

It was an important question too, with the Bulldogs jumping to fifth spot on the ladder thanks to their percentage boost, passing Richmond and North Melbourne to sit just one game behind the fourth-placed Sydney Swans.   

Former Bomber Stewart Crameri enjoyed a day out against his old club, booting a career-high seven goals and providing constant pressure in the forward line, creating turnovers.

Seven-goal Crameri crushes old club

Jake Stringer was the other star in the attack, showcasing his explosiveness to kick four goals, while sharpshooter Tory Dickson was at his efficient best, booting 4.0.

The forward line trio benefited from a dominant midfield, led by clearance specialist Mitch Wallis (26 and seven clearances) and in-form pair Lachie Hunter (37) and Jack Macrae (27 and eight clearances).   

Underlying the Bulldogs' dominance was the lopsided possession tally (427-385) and the fact they out-tackled their opponents 52-48.

"It was a strong win. Essendon strangled us a bit early but it was a great effort for the duration of the game," coach Luke Beveridge said post-match.

Essendon's selection of former Greater Western Sydney ruckman Jonathon Giles for his club debut didn't reap much benefit, but he battled hard to have 25 hit-outs and five clearances. 

Lacking confidence and direction with their ball-movement, the Bombers set out to stifle the Bulldogs in the first quarter, forcing the lowest scoring first term of the season, with a combined 1.6 scored.

The quarter went for just 23 minutes and 23 seconds and was the shortest recorded by Champion Data since 1999. 

It was a relief when the siren sounded, allowing at least the Bulldogs to reset and emerge with a game-breaking plan that saw them kick four goals in 10 minutes after quarter time.

Crameri repays a promise

It took until the 16-minute mark for Essendon to register a second quarter inside-50, and it led to their first goal when Brent Stanton intercepted Shane Biggs' kick-in.

The worst, however, was still to come as frustration boiled over and the Bombers' body language disintegrated.  

After starting the game forward, Cale Hooker was forced into defence and was one of the few Bombers to have an impact, with the team desperately missing key defender Michael Hurley.  

Stand-in captain Dyson Heppell (32 possessions and nine clearances) and Brendon Goddard (23 and four inside 50s) were the others trying to rally their teammates, while half-back Michael Hibberd (29) battled hard. 

"We were disappointed around the contest, we didn't tackle well, and we didn't play the roles we asked players to play," James Hird said. 

"I didn't see that coming. We had five or six players miss a lot of training through illness during the week, but that's the only thing that meant guys were a little bit off. 

"But that doesn't mean we have the result we had. 

"That was a very disappointing result. Our players got dictated to and we didn't stand up in the contest when we needed to." 

ESSENDON                         0.4    2.5     4.7       5.10  (40)
WESTERN BULLDOGS      1.2    8.8   15.11   19.13 (127)  

GOALS
Essendon: Stanton, Langford, Hooker, Z Merrett, Daniher
Western Bulldogs: Crameri 7, Stringer 4, Dickson 4, Daniel 2, Wallis, Johannisen

BEST 
Essendon: Hibberd, Stanton, Hooker, Goddard, Heppell
Western Bulldogs: Crameri, Wallis, Stringer, Hunter, Dahlhaus, Johannisen, Picken

INJURIES 
Essendon: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Alex Browne replaced by Jackson Merrett in the third quarter
Western Bulldogs: Matthew Boyd replaced by Bailey Dale in the fourth quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Bannister, Deboy, Schmitt

Official crowd: 33,466 at Etihad Stadium