It's not that Rodney Eade has put a ban on any mention of the finals.

It's just that the Western Bulldogs coach was realistic enough to think that his developing AFL team was probably going to come up just short this year after losing 10 of its first 17 games.

But the weekend's other results have thrown the finals race wide open, with the Bulldogs just one win out of the eight after Richmond and Port Adelaide both lost.

Needing to win their last four matches - including next weekend against flag favourite West Coast - the odds are the Bulldogs will still miss out on the 2005 September action.

But if they could serve up the type of fast-paced, all-action football they did in Saturday night's 28-point victory over the Brisbane Lions, the Bulldogs would be more than deserving of a finals berth.

In a pulsating match, the Bulldogs scooted out to a 47-point lead midway through the second term on the back of eight unanswered goals.

The Lions then had the better of the next hour, so much so that they twice hit the front early in the final term.

But rather than wilt, the 'Dogs went on another eight-goal scoring spree to win 23.13 (151) to 18.15 (123) at Telstra Dome.

Brad Johnson was superb with 27 possessions and five goals in his 250th game, Matthew Robbins took a prime contender for mark of the year and also kicked five, while Chris Grant rolled back the years with four majors.

The Bulldogs improved to an 8-10 win-loss record and retain a chance of playing in the finals with games to come against the Eagles, fellow playoff contenders Richmond and Melbourne and struggling Collingwood.

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