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A career-best 10 goals to Josh Bruce has powered the Western Bulldogs to a 128-point demolition of North Melbourne in an AFL smashing.
Josh Bruce's career-best 10 goals has powered the Western Bulldogs to a record-breaking 128-point AFL demolition of North Melbourne.
The Bulldogs slammed home 20 of the last 22 goals to obliterate the Kangaroos under the roof at Marvel Stadium, running out winners 25.17 (167) to 5.9 (39).
It was the Bulldogs' greatest-ever VFL/AFL winning margin, eclipsing the 120-point mark set against Melbourne in 1985 when the club was still known as Footscray.
It was also their biggest score against North, powering past the total they kicked in round three, 1984.
Determined to put in a competitive showing after the club's place in the Good Friday timeslot was questioned during the week, the Kangaroos' intensity barely lasted a quarter.
Maligned forward Bruce shot to form, becoming the first AFL player to kick 10 goals in a game since Ben Brown for the Kangaroos against Port Adelaide in 2019.
It was the third-straight time Bruce has booted at least six goals against North in what was a timely performance as No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan pushes his case to debut in the Bulldogs' forward line.
North forward Nick Larkey appeared to have cut the margin to five points midway through the second term, but a video review disallowed the goal.
The Bulldogs, led by Bruce and a scintillating performance from star recruit Adam Treloar (three goals and 27 touches), then piled on the next 12 goals to completely crush North's spirits.
The Kangaroos' next goal did not come until the eight-minute mark of the last quarter when young gun Charlie Lazzaro nailed one on the run.
Not even in their drought-breaking premiership year of 2016 did the Bulldogs open the season with three-straight victories, ensuring confidence continues to build at Whitten Oval.
"For our group to not let up and have some sort of last quarter and really provide that gap in the margin was absolutely outstanding," Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said.
"We're understanding that the Kangaroos are going to take some time, but 3-0 for us is pleasing - it's been a while (not since 2009)."
The Bulldogs' only concern is a "significant" left shoulder injury to Ryan Gardner, with the defender subbed out for Patrick Lipinski in the opening stages.
Gardner will undergo surgery and will miss at least six weeks.
Jared Polec (hamstring) and experienced midfielder Jed Anderson were both hurt for the Kangaroos and are in doubt for next week's winnable match against last year's wooden spooners Adelaide.
"We just need to be calm. We're on a journey, we understand there's hiccups along the way, and today's a bigger one than maybe what we've had," Kangaroos coach David Noble said.
"We need to be really composed on where we're going and understand we're not going to deviate off the way that we're going to play."
The Bulldogs will host the resurgent Brisbane Lions in Ballarat next Saturday.
