The Western Bulldogs have tuned-up for the opening round of the new AFL season with a 38-point win over Melbourne in their NAB Challenge Series clash at Casey Fields on Saturday.

Barely a kick separated the teams for three quarters in the match played under grey skies on a sodden surface at Casey Fields.

The Bulldogs finished the steadier in a final term contested in teeming rain, however, adding five goals while holding Melbourne scoreless to get up - 14.17 (101) to 10.3 (63).

In a disappointing post-script for the Demons, Aaron Davey (bruised heel) and Daniel Bell (suspected broken thumb) sustained injuries that threaten to delay their start to the premiership season while Ricky Petterd suffered a corked hip.

And defender Clint Bartram is on report for making forceful front-on contact with Bulldog Daniel Giansiracusa in the final term.

In the rooms afterwards, a satisfied Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said he wasn't overly concerned about the result.

"Just the process we went through in the second half was a lot better, I think there were some good signs there," Eade said.

"The conditions were obviously a battle all day for both sides, but the way we put pressure on in the second half and we got some good game time into players so that was pleasing."

"And the fact that we got so many scoring shots was good."

Daniel Cross collected a match-high 29 possessions for the Bulldogs while Lindsay Gilbee (27) and Nathan Eagleton (24) were busy as well.

Robert Murphy failed to see out the contest, coming off during the third quarter because of knee soreness.

The conditions were tailor-made for Nathan Jones whose 27 touches for Melbourne were matched by skipper James McDonald.

After the Demons led by five points at half-time, Bulldogs youngster Josh Hill threatened to break the game open with a three-goal burst in the third quarter before Brad Green dragged the Demons back into it with two goals in a minute deep into time-on.

The Dogs seized control early in the final quarter through goals to Jarrod Harbrow and Shaun Higgins, and further majors to Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffen and Callan Ward made for an easy win.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey was bitterly disappointed with his team's fade-out in the last quarter and blamed an overuse of handball.

"They were attacking really hard in the last quarter and all we did was defend," Bailey said.

"You can’t defend in wet conditions too much for too long otherwise other teams score and that's what happened."

"The result matters and we let ourselves down."

"I thought our last three games we kicked the ball better and today we didn’t - we let ourselves down I thought."

Defender Jared Rivers made it through unscathed and benefited from some valuable game time for the Demons in his second competitive outing since injuring an ankle in an intra-club match early last month.

Meanwhile, at a packed Hands Oval in Bunbury, Fremantle has registered a comfortable 43 point win over Carlton in their NAB Challenge match.

Some Mark Harvey experimentation providing an interesting side note as the Dockers enjoyed control for much of the contest scoring 20.6 (126) to Carlton’s 12.11 (83).

Brendan Fevola was a shining light for the Blues booting four goals.

High-marking Fremantle forward Chris Tarrant was deployed at full back on the Carlton spearhead for the entire game, but the move wasn’t entirely successful with Fevola kicking three in the first term and setting up a number of scoring shots despite picking up a bruised heel.

Regular defenders Antoni Grover and Michael Johnson found also themselves in unfamiliar roles up forward with Johnson kicking two majors.

David Mundy and Matthew Pavlich played on ball while Paul Haselby was busy as he continued his return from the knee injury that crueled his 2008 season.

For the Blues, defender Paul Bower performed well across half back while Eddie Betts was lively up forward.

High draft pick Chris Yarran also showed promising signs, kicking two goals.

Carlton duo Simon Wiggins and Chris Johnson were both reported for separate incidents in the game and will have a nervous wait in the coming week.

MELBOURNE: 2.1, 7.3, 10.3, 10.3 (63)
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 2.7, 5.10, 9.11, 14.17 (101)

GOALS: Melbourne: Green 3, Miller, Jetta, Davey, McLean, Newton, McDonald, Jones
Western Bulldogs: Hill 3, Johnson 2, Higgins 2, Griffen 2, Akermanis, Hahn, Harbrow, Cross, Ward
BEST: Melbourne: Green, Morton, Buckley, Jetta, Newton, Moloney
Western Bulldogs: Morris, Eagleton, Higgins, Hill, Giansiracusa, Cross
INJURIES: Melbourne: Davey (bruised heel), Petterd (corked hip), Bell (suspected broken thumb)
Western Bulldogs: Nil
REPORTS: Clint Bartram (Melbourne) for forceful front-on contact on Daniel Giansiracusa (Western Bulldogs)
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Kennedy, Stewart, Mollison
CROWD: 2000 approx. at Casey Fields