With a game plan underpinned by speed, Gunnedah ran Inverell ragged at Wolseley Oval in a 115-point win - the match stopped early in the final quarter after a shocking injury.
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Saints player Nathan Hughes suffered a severely broken leg or ankle.
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Given the severity of the injury and the Bulldogs' comfortable lead, the captains conferred with the umpires and the match was halted.
The final score was 19.18 (132) to 2.5 (17).
Gunnedah captain Ben Maher said the Bulldogs were a faster side than the club's 2017 premiership-winning outfit.
He said the 2017 Bulldogs leveraged their bountiful experience by playing "smart and slow" football.
"Whereas now, the smarts and skills are still there, but we can just move so much faster with the ball because we've got so much youth.
"When I started [at the Bulldogs] in 2017, I was the youngest bloke by a mile - and now there's 10, 12 blokes that are my age."
Ruck rover Josh Chiavaroli - a 22-year-old Victorian who joined the Dogs this year - has provided the side with real spark.
He was named Gunnedah's best against the Saints.
"He just runs, runs, runs," Maher said of Chiavaroli.
Also impressive against Inverell was Jaydon Stiles, a 26-year-old Victorian who debuted for the club on Saturday along with his 19-year-old brother, Josh. Jaydon's four goals was a match high.
