Captain Marcus Bontempelli has sent a massive scare through the Western Bulldogs, leaving their pre-season win early.

The star onballer provided ultimate clickbait when he went to the change rooms during the first quarter of their 11-point win against Hawthorn at Launceston's UTAS Stadium.

But it did not look serious and Bontempelli told Fox Footy "yeah, I will be alright" as he walked along the boundary line a few minutes later.

The Hawks struggled early and coach Sam Mitchell was scathing at half-time.

But they hit the front in the last term before the Bulldogs steadied and won 11.11 (77) to 9.12 (66).

Laitham Vandermeer was also forced off in the first half with concussion, adding to the Bulldogs' pre-season personnel troubles ahead of their round one game on March 15 against North Melbourne.

The 16-day break gives Bontempelli, one of the game's best players, plenty of time to make sure he is ready for their season-opener.

It also will help Vandermeer work through the concussion protocol and potentially be available. 

Liam Jones, Cody Weightman, Adam Treloar and Jason Johannisen are sidelined, while Bailey Dale and Ed Richards must prove their fitness after missing Thursday's game.

Star forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan missed a sizeable part of the pre-season because of personal issues and it remains unclear when he will be ready to play again.

Despite Bontempelli's absence and their lengthy casualty list, the Bulldogs made a bright start and led by 22 points at the main break.

Mature-age recruit Sam Davidson, taken with pick 51 in last year's draft, was impressive as he pressed his claims for an AFL debut.

Mitchell did not mince his words when he spoke to Fox Footy at half-time.

"We're lucky the scoreboard looks like it does, they've been far better than us and we needed a bit of a shock to the system, that first part of the game," he said.

"We'll do a couple of things a bit differently ... but I don't think it matters too much if we don't try a bit harder and put in a bit more effort than we did that half."

Bulldogs key forwards Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton finished with three goals apiece, while Lachlan McNeil snared four.

"Now he's getting older and stronger - the sheer size of him - it makes it hard for defenders to match up," Naughton said of Darcy, one of the AFL's most exciting young talents.

Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore had 31 disposals and opponent James Worpel had 28, with 10 clearances, as he played a key role in Hawthorn's second-half revival.

Defender and star recruit Tom Barrass played his first game for the Hawks, who open their season on Friday week against Sydney at the SCG.

Nick Watson kicked two goals at the start of the final term to briefly put Hawthorn in front.

A goal to teammate Josh Weddle on the three-quarter time siren was disallowed and had it not been a pre-season game, the incident would have been a big controversy.

New faces 
Prized recruits Tom Barrass and Josh Battle slotted seamlessly into the Hawthorn backline, the pair combining for six contested marks. Battle also won himself 27 disposals playing further up the ground. Mature-age Dogs recruit Sam Davidson was a standout in his first official game in Bulldogs colours, racking up 23 disposals in the first half on the way to 29 for the game. Former Blue Matt Kennedy had 19 touches, while first-year forward Josh Dolan looked lively.

Round one chance 
Sam Davidson, taken with pick No.51 in last year's draft, is an absolute lock after his excellent performance, adding a goal to his 29 touches. Riley Garcia did enough to suggest he could add to his 31 games, while the likes of Luke Cleary and Arthur Jones produced some good moments. The Hawks will roll with a pretty settled line-up heading into next week's Opening Round match against Sydney, with Harry Morrison putting his hand up and Finn Maginness also in the frame.

Medical room 
Marcus Bontempelli lasted only a few minutes before limping off with what the club described as 'low level calf tightness'. He will be a watch and see ahead of the round one clash against North Melbourne. Laitham Vandermeer was assessed for concussion after copping a knee to the back of the head. They both should be fine for the season-opener but it just adds to an already extensive injury list for Luke Beveridge's men. The club is hopeful Bailey Dale (quad) and Ed Richards (calf) will be fit to face the Roos. Adam Treloar will miss the start of the season with a calf issue, while Liam Jones (hamstring) and Jason Johannisen (hamstring) are also out for several more weeks. Cody Weightman (knee) is facing a three-month stint on the sidelines after knee surgery. For the Hawks, James Blanck and Mitch Lewis are on the comeback trail from ACL injuries, while Calsher Dear is being managed after a bone stress reaction in his back. Changkuoth Jiath (hip) suffered a pre-season setback with the severity still to be determined.

Fantasy watch 
New Bulldog Sam Davidson (FWD, $230,000) only needed a half to lock himself into Fantasy teams with a 75-point first half. He dominated on the wing and finished with 102 points. Star Marcus Bontempelli (MID, $1,101,000) was injured early on five points, while plenty of eyes were on Ryley Sanders (MID/FWD, $656,000) who had a good midfield role and saw his way to 88 points. Tim English (RUC, $1,074,000) impressed and scored 98, while Joel Freijah (DEF, $627,000) finished with 96 as he was again relied upon in the absence of Bailey Dale. Another Dogs defender who starred was Luke Cleary (DEF, $335,000) with 79 points. Tom Liberatore (MID, $898,000) led all scorers with 138. James Sicily (DEF, $896,000) scored 108 playing mostly in defence, while fellow Hawk Will Day (MID, $760,000) struggled to get going and finished with 70. – Dejan Kalinic

HAWTHORN                  2.2     3.5     6.8      9.12 (66)
WESTERN BULLDOGS           3.6     6.9     7.11     11.11 (77)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Macdonald 2, Watson 2, Chol, Ginnivan, Maginness, Worpel, D'Ambrosio
Western Bulldogs: McNeil 4, Darcy 3, Naughton 3, Davidson

BEST
Hawthorn: D'Ambrosio, Worpel, Morrison, Amon, Sicily
Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Naughton, Davidson, McNeil, Freijah

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli (calf), Vandermeer (concussion)

Feature image by Bradley Moylon Photography.