THE WESTERN Bulldogs were outclassed by a slick and speedy North Melbourne outfit to the tune of 20 points at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon.
The Kangaroos claimed their fifth straight win in style, leading from the first bounce until the final siren to kick 21.10 (136) to 18.8 (116), with 12 individual goal-kickers sharing the spoils.
The Bulldogs fought back in the second half after falling 50 points adrift, but lacked the pace to keep up with hot-footed Roos Matt Campbell and Lindsay Thomas, and the intensity to halt talented ball magnet Brent Harvey.
The loss means the Dogs will remain third on the ladder, half a game behind Hawthorn.
Robert Murphy and Brad Johnson were solid for the Dogs with seven goals between them – Johnson snaring his 500th career goal in the second term.
And, Jarrod Harbrow played an impressive game with three goals, while Adam Cooney was solid around the stoppages.
But the Roos simply had too many winners, and strung together more frequent runs of scoring momentum than their opposition.
The Bulldogs looked flat in the first and couldn't shift up a gear when the Kangaroos began to deny them entry into the forward 50.
The Roos had five early opportunities to score but couldn't kick a goal until their sixth shot, which saw a major go to David Hale after a free kick.
Such was the Kangaroos' dominance in the opening stages, the Dogs didn't kick a goal until the 17-minute mark, but even that provided a short-lived celebration as the Roos went on to snare the next three.
Murphy popped one through shortly before quarter-time, which meant the Dogs trailed by 26 going into the second.
Johnson cut the gap to 20 points in the first two minutes, but the Roos got moving and nailed three straight through Daniel Wells, Corey Jones and Shannon Grant to move ahead by 38 points.
The Bulldogs hit back through Harbrow, but failed to get any sort of flowing scoring pattern and the Roos responded with goals to Campbell and Hale.
North endured a scare when Nathan Thompson and Hale went off within a minute of each other nursing injuries, but both were able to return later in the quarter.
Johnson kicked his second shortly before the siren, which meant the Dogs trailed by 38 points at the main break.
It was the restart the Bulldogs were dreading with the Kangaroos kicking the first two and moving 50 points clear, but something ignited inside Rodney Eade's men and they lifted to record the next three.
After a goal to Harvey, the Dogs found momentum to kick four straight, including a terrific team goal that saw Murphy put together three superb efforts to deliver the ball to Harbrow in the goal square.
A major to Thompson after the siren was a cruel blow for the Dogs, but they had more than halved the deficit they previously faced and entered the last quarter 24 points down.
Murphy took a screamer in the opening minute and goaled, cutting the margin to three straight kicks, but the versatile Scott McMahon replied four minutes later.
The Roos got 32 points clear but the Dogs rallied again and were within 14 points at the 25-minute mark, but Grant dribbled through the sealer two minutes later.
The Bulldogs will travel north to meet the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba next week.
North Melbourne6.5 11.6 15.7 21.10 (136)
Western Bulldogs 2.3 5.4 11.7 18.8 (116)
GOALS
North Melbourne: Campbell 3, Harding 3, Grant 3, Harvey 3, Thompson 2, Hale, Sinclair, Wells, Jones, Lower, McMahon, Thomas
Western Bulldogs: Johnson 5, Harbrow 3, Giansiracusa 3, Murphy 2, Hahn 2, Welsh, Cooney, Griffen
BEST
North Melbourne: Harvey, Campbell, Rawlings, Wells, Grant, Harding
Western Bulldogs: Johnson, Murphy, Harbrow, Giansiracusa, Cross, Cooney
INJURIES
North Melbourne: Simpson (hip) out, replaced in selected side by Watt
Western Bulldogs: Hudson (back) out, replaced in selected side by Street
Umpires: Vozzo, Stevic, Hendrie
Official crowd: 31,957 at Telstra Dome
