Pushed forward the previous round against the Tamworth Kangaroos, Mack booted seven goals to kick the Bulldogs to an 18.11 (119) to 9.16 (70) win.

"It was a big win for us," Dogs coach Andy Mack said.

"It was do or die really. Had we of lost we could have been out of the finals race."

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A loss would have left them eight points adrift of the four with four games remaining and three of those away to top four sides. Instead they are only a win away.

They face the second-placed Tamworth Swans in Tamworth this Saturday, followed by the table-topping Tamworth Kangaroos (also in Tamworth) and third-placed Inverell Saints in Inverell.

On Saturday things weren't looking good early at Wolseley Oval with the Nomads dominating and jumping out to a 31-12 lead at the break. It probably could have been more but "luckily" for the Dogs the Nomads "didn't convert a few chances", which kept them in the game.

"We wasted the ball. We were pretty poor by foot early on," Mack said.

"We were getting enough forward entries but then balls were just not hitting targets".

Once they "started hitting a few targets and started getting a bit more supply to the forwards" they started to get a few contests and things started to turnaround.

They kicked five goals in the second term to close within three points at the long break and then repeated that in the third, while holding the Nomads to a solitary goal, for a 21-point lead heading into the final quarter.

The pleasing thing for Mack was they kicked on, booting six to finish off the game.

Of the decision to move elder brother James from "down back" where he has played "all the time he's been playing" forward, he was looking for a bit more up front and thought he might be able to find a few marks.

"He's got a good set of hands, and he's a pretty reliable kick," he said.

It seems to have had the desired effect with James' seven goals following four-goal haul against the Roos.

Adam Curgenven supported with four goals while Thomas Mackey and Mitch Swain both kicked two.

Mack said Swain was good in the midfield with Andrew George while Sam Proudfoot did a good in the ruck after they lost Nick Ferguson to injury about five minutes into the game

Jakob Vearing was also good in the backline. Running off half-back, he said, he gave them a lot of drive going forward.

Mack also noted the job Ryan Smith did tagging Nomads dangerman Dave Richards, holding him to just the one goal.

The Dogs women also got the points, Kyra Carlyon, Jess Spence and Laura Ewington leading the charge with two goals as they beat the Nomads 10.17 (77) to 2.5 (17).

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