After a week of drama at Princes Park, Maryborough returned to the playing arena for its first game since announcing its potential departure from the BFNL.
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It might be dubious to label a 27.18 (180) to 3.4 (22) defeat a good performance, but the Maryborough faithful could leave the ground on Saturday proud of their club.
In front of the 1974 and 1999 senior football premiership sides, the wounded Magpies showed some heart.
Co-coach Matthew Johnston was upbeat in his assessment of how the playing group handled the week in the spotlight.
"It's obviously been a big week for the club, so I thought the effort put forth from all our 22 was fantastic, and the scoreboard reflected the positive energy they brought," Johnston said.
"Our message to the boys was there are a lot of things going on off-field, but our focus is week by week getting through whichever challenge arises and ensuring we're enjoying our footy as much as possible.
"The community came out in support, and having the premiership reunions brought a lot of people through the club.
"The playing group can at times feel a bit isolated, so it was nice for them to see they still have a lot of support."
From the Golden Square perspective, it was the much-needed confidence booster they were searching for after a tough couple of weeks against the BFNL's benchmark sides.
By quarter-time, they had put the game beyond doubt, opening up a 56-point buffer.
Skipper Jayden Burke nailed eight, while Jack Stewart kicked five.
The usual suspects, Tom Strauch, Jordan Rosengren, and Jack Threlfall were good again, while youngster Zak Wescott had another strong performance at the coalface and is establishing himself at senior level.
Bulldogs coach Brad Eaton said it was a good time to get Maryborough with the reserves not playing due to the Magpies forfeiting.
"We've had a tough couple of weeks playing the best two sides in the competition, which gained us a few wounded bodies, so it probably came at a good time the reserves didn't play a game," Eaton said.
"It was good to go out and play with the same intensity around the footy but be able to get our hands on it a bit more as we've been starved of the ball against Gisborne and Sandhurst.
"We're still a work in progress forward of centre, so having more inside 50 and being able to work on a few things was a pleasing aspect."
Johnston's co-coach Coby Perry returned for his first game since round four and was at his brilliant best.
Ash Humphreys was also among the Magpie's top performers, and his recent move into the midfield has proved fruitful.
"Ash has been quality since we've started him in the guts," Johnston said.
"Having an older head in there has been nice for the young guys, especially our ruckman Tom Myers, who had another fantastic game."
The Bulldogs should even their ledger at 4-4 next week, facing South Bendigo, while the Magpies travel to Canterbury Park.
