Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge couldn't help but be moved and inspired by his side's stunning AFL comeback win over Hawthorn.
The Dogs trailed by a game-high 30 points at three-quarter time on Sunday but rattled home with the last eight goals of the contest to prevail 16.10 (106) to 13.9 (87) in front of 39,368 fans at the MCG.
The Hawks lost Liam Shiels and Shaun Burgoyne to second-half hamstring injuries and couldn't keep pace with their fast-finishing opponents.
It didn't appear to be the Dogs' day after they spurned multiple chances to build a substantial lead in the second quarter and then watched as Hawthorn broke the game open in the third.
Beveridge wasn't about to play down the significance of the achievement, which came on the back of a hard-fought season-opening win over Sydney.
"I'm pretty ecstatic, it was a monumental day for us really when you consider how the game unfolded," Beveridge said.
"The boys did a sensational job to persevere ... to come back from so far, it's a big day for us.
"(Those performances) are probably pretty rare but when they happen in your own backyard it's hard not to be inspired and moved by it."
The Bulldogs came out on top in the midfield battle, with Jack Macrae (36 possessions), Lachie Hunter (33) and Mitch Wallis (29) all influential.
Josh Schache did the damage up front with four goals, with Billy Gowers and Tory Dickson chiming in with three apiece.
Beveridge's team had 19 more inside 50s in the second quarter but managed just two goals to scratch out a four-point halftime lead.
The Hawks made them pay, breaking the game open with a seven-goals-to-two third quarter, but high drama ensued with Schache kicking three of the last eight goals to cap a brave comeback.
Jaeger O'Meara (30) and Ricky Henderson (29) were important for Hawthorn, but Alastair Clarkson fumed at his side's uneven performance.
"You get what you deserve in footy and we didn't deserve to win," Clarkson said.
"The Western Bulldogs were the better side ... we got our just desserts.
"(Injuries) had very little determination on the result, in my view.
"We were beaten up by a side that wanted the ball more and used it better."
Shiels and Burgoyne will require scans to determine the severity of their injuries, but look set to miss next week's clash with North Melbourne.