The Western Bulldogs endured another AFL scrap but this time emerged victorious, as they beat Melbourne by four points in the wet at the MCG on Friday night.

The Dogs avenged last week's heartbreak, when they conceded three late goals and lost narrowly to St Kilda, by kicking the last two goals to sink Melbourne 10.10 (70) to 9.12 (66).

Fullback Brian Lake, sent forward as the last roll of the dice, snapped truly to keep the Bulldogs alive in the last four minutes, and then Ryan Griffen kicked the winner from deep in the pocket with the clock winding down.

It was a great escape for the Bulldogs, who looked set to go into the red despite holding a sizeable lead in the first half, when it rained continuously.

The Dogs led by 20 points at the start of the second quarter before the Demons had kicked a goal.

But Melbourne, riding on the spirit of young guns Tom Scully, Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove, staged a stirring comeback from midway through the second quarter and took the lead in the last quarter.

Melbourne looked set for a fairytale win when first-gamer Danny Hughes kicked truly, which put his side nine points clear.

The Bulldogs were dead on their feet but somehow resisted the momentum, went forward and conjured the two goals they needed.

Josh Hill was the Bulldogs' only multiple scorer with two goals, while Matthew Bate kicked three for Melbourne.

The Bulldogs' win was their fourth for the season, and left Melbourne nursing a 3-4 win-loss record.

Like in round three when pipped by one point by Collingwood, Melbourne can arguably claim they lost despite being the better side.

Just as agonising for Melbourne, they twice had what they claimed were goals called touched behinds when the field umpire made the decision instead of the goal umpire.

Had Lynden Dunn's snap in the last quarter been called a goal, it would have put Melbourne nine points up midway through the period.

The Melbourne fans booed the umpires off the ground.

Midfielders Daniel Cross and Shaun Higgins were two of the best for the Bulldogs on a night when players had to be strong over the ball and sure with their skills, while back pocket Jarrod Harbrow was again good as a running defender.

Scully and Trengove were very good in the Melbourne midfield, Grimes was sure-handed in the backline, Matthew Warnock kept Barry Hall goalless and Jamie Bennell kicked one of the goals of the season, when he squirted through a dribbled major in the second quarter.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade jokingly thanked the "footy gods" following the defeat to St Kilda, but conceded Melbourne were cleaner in their ball handling.

But he said the win showed grit and might spark the side after a flat patch.

"I've been involved in the game a long time and seen seasons or periods in a season turn because of things like that, winning ugly, I suppose. We just hang in there," he said.

"I think it can cement belief.

"Having said that, you don't bury your head in the sand - there's certainly some areas we can work on.

"... to be nine points down, to be able to get up and win from that showed a bit of steel and a bit of belief." Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said his side put itself "in a good position to win the game", but refused to attribute the defeat to the close goal decisions.

"The game's full of lots of opportunities we didn't take," he said.

Instead Bailey said the start of the game was costly, as the Bulldogs kicked the first three, including one in the first minute, when Matthew Boyd marked in the clear on the 50-metre line.

"Those aspects of the game, from a learning perspective for our players and our club to go through was very worthwhile," he said.

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