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AFL: Geelong have moved to the top of the table with a thumping victory over the Bulldogs.

Mark Blicavs and Mitch Duncan tackle Tom Liberatore. This was the story of the night for the Dogs who were under Geelong pressure all night.

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge on Saturday night conceded his team forced itself into chaos after a pressurized 57-point loss to Geelong.

The Dogs recorded their lowest score and third largest loss under Beveridge in the Cats’ 5.13 (43) to 16.4 (100) domination at Etihad Stadium.

But Beveridge said the Bulldogs would be “looking a bit healthier” after next week’s bye with captain Easton Wood likely to face Sydney at the SCG.

Beveridge said dasher Jason Johannisen should to return through the VFL that weekend while the Dogs will also regain Luke Dahlhaus, Koby Stevens, Clay Smith and Tom Boyd in the run home.

They are likely to drop to sixth on Sunday and could fall as low as eighth by the time they next run out against the Swans.

On Saturday night the Dogs won the inside-50 count but Geelong’s easy passage to goal allowed it easy shots, including five certainties from within 15m.

Daniel Menzel booted two first-half goals from poor lateral turnovers by Jack Redpath and Jake Stringer while midfield superstars Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood set the frenetic tone in the middle.

Asked if the Dogs were hunting the double chance, Beveridge said: “We haven’t achieved anything yet, we’re 9-4 and stranger things have happened”.

Mark Blicavs and Mitch Duncan tackle Tom Liberatore. This was the story of the night for the Dogs who were under Geelong pressure all night.Source:AAP

Beveridge lamented that Selwood played a “really good first half” and Dangerfield a “really good second half”.

“The biggest issue was probably sending ourselves into chaos and kicking the ball straight to them,” Beveridge said.

“We gave them momentum and played into an experienced team’s hands.

“The weight of momentum was always in the Cats’ favour.

“I think the quality of (our inside 50s) wasn’t where it needed to be.

“You can put that down to a number of things and one of them was Geelong’s pressure

“The right story was Geelong was quite dominant and we didn’t play our best footy.”

Saturday night’s loss ended a string of three grinding wins after the Bulldogs withstood Collingwood, West Coast and Port Adelaide last week.

They arrived under Beveridge against the Swans last year with their shock four-point win in the wet at the SCG.

“We’ve got two weeks now before we play Sydney and our objective is to make sure that we manage ourselves, steel ourselves for that challenge up there and do what we can to get back on the winner’s list,” Beveridge said.