Square improved to 2-0 to start the season, backing up its round one victory over Sandhurst with a 23.22 (160) to 6.6 (42) victory over the Magpies at Wade Street.

The Bulldogs held the Magpies to just one goal in the first half, at which stage they were already 79 points up.

“We spoke before the start of the game that we weren’t going to focus on the scoreboard, we wanted to make sure Golden Square came off the ground feeling like they’d played a game of footy,” Magpies coach Ben Lavars said.

“With the scoreline the way it was for us at half-time when we were 80-odd points down, in the past that has tended to blow out to 200 points, so I was proud of the boys that the margin only blew out another 40-odd points in the second half.

“That was a good sign that even if we do get down, the boys are going to keep fighting and having a crack.”

Travis Baird (five), Jayden Burke (four), assistant coach Brad Eaton (three) and Bailey George (three) combined for 15 goals for Square, while premier midfielder Jack Geary played a starring role and Braydon Welsh again impressed.

One of the big positives out of the game for Maryborough was the performance of 16-year-old Lachlan Bond across half-forward, while another teenager, midfielder Jack Hayward, who kicked a last-quarter goal and applied plenty of tackling pressure also played well.