Posted March 24, 2017 22:39:07

Photo: Travis Cloke was greeted by boos, but silenced the crowd with a big first-quarter goal. (AAP: Julian Smith)

For long periods of this Friday night match, won 15.10 (100) to 12.14 (86) by the Western Bulldogs, it was a little hard to know exactly which of the sides was the reigning premier.

From siren to siren, key stats all seemed to point to a Collingwood whitewash — the Pies won the clearances, inside 50s and contested possessions convincingly.

The Magpies took a lead early in the third quarter and looked good value for it. The midfield was dominant, the pressure around the ground immense and the Bulldogs' now-famous run quelled as much as possible.

But even as they quaked and briefly wilted, the Bulldogs had the advantage of unshaken, unquestionable belief that their methods and skills would see them home.

That's an advantage only winning a premiership can provide.

In a 10-minute burst late in the third, the Bulldogs played the brutal yet brilliant football that lifted them through September and October and won the match.

And when the Pies made the final stand in the last quarter, the Bulldogs stayed true to what worked to them. Matt Suckling hit aggressive centring kicks, Jason Johannisen kept handballing over his head and Marcus Bontempelli cracked on in.

It's a feather in the cap of a Bulldogs team that, let's not forgot, finished seventh on the ladder at the end of the 2016 home and away season. With room for improvement, this sense of champions' calm makes the Dogs an even tougher proposition.

Of course there were flaws in this developing Collingwood team that held it back, most notably the lack of a functioning forward line.

Young Darcy Moore, who continues to carry the burden of being the Magpies' big hope, had no impact on the game while Mason Cox competed but struggled. The goals came from Alex Fasolo and the midfielders, a model which may not be sustainable.

It occasionally left the dominant Magpies midfield directionless, and the overwhelming discrepancy in the inside 50s was not capitalised on.

In truth, the Western Bulldogs' forward line was far from perfect either, with Travis Cloke's debut impressive but only bringing about one goal and Tom Boyd far from the beast that dominated the grand final.

But in the Bulldogs' favour now is versatility. Opposing coaches will now have to combat a forward-roaming Johannisen and Bob Murphy, who both pushed forward at times and more than made their presence felt.

Fears of a premiership hangover, for now, have been shelved. It seems the only thing still lingering at Footscray after last September is the art of winning.

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