It was Easton Wood's first week as captain of the Dogs, filling the role vacated by the much-loved Bob Murphy, who underwent knee surgery.

Wood led the team to a comprehensive win over the Lions, showcasing an enviable depth of talent across their still young lineup.

His brother, McLeod, is a captain in the Australian army and during the week he visited the club to speak to players and staff about his two tours of Afghanistan.

Beveridge said McLeod had been inspirational, speaking as openly as possible about the hardships he and his colleagues had faced while serving abroad and how responsible they had to be at a young age.

"He spoke to us for just on an hour and we'll all benefit a hell of a lot, in the future, not just tonight," he said.

"It's a big family night for the Woods, they're pretty proud of their two boys as you can imagine."

With Murphy and speedster Jason Johannisen both out of action with serious injuries, Wood's return to the team after a short absence due to hamstring tightness could not have been more timely.

Wood said his team's 53-point win against the Lions showed they had enough skilled players to cope with his teammates' loss and would not be changing the way they played to avoid further serious injuries.

"If you're ever holding anything back, you'll be in real trouble, I think we just back ourselves in, injuries are part of the game," he said.

"We'll keep backing ourselves in, playing our hard game, putting our bodies on the line and if someone goes down the next person will come and that's what we've seen the last couple of weeks."

They will be tested on Friday week when they play unbeaten North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

"They're a really experienced team, they've got some really very experienced players, so it's a huge challenge for us," he said.

Wood said he would be striving for authenticity in his time at the helm.

"My main goal is just to be able to be myself, I think as long as you stay true to yourself everything else will take care of itself," he said.

"As long as I don't force anything and try to be something I'm not, I think the boys will respond to that genuineness."