Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have given Australia the chance to push for big win to start the Test summer after running through West Indies to have them all out for 283.
After just five wickets fell across the first seven sessions at Perth's Optus Stadium, Australia looked as if they would have a long grind ahead to force a result.
But that situation is now looking far less tricky, with the home side claiming a 315-run first-innings lead before going to stumps on day three at 1-29.
Usman Khawaja is the one man out after flaying at a ball outside off stump, after Cummins decided not to enforce the follow on and give he and his fellow bowlers time to rest.
Australia will likely to bat deep into Saturday before giving themselves more than four sessions to bowl the tourists out a second time.
On a wicket that threatened to offer little for the bowlers, the trajectory of the match changed completely when Cummins claimed his 200th Test scalp in the form of opposition captain Kraig Brathwaite on 64.
In scenes reminiscent of his famous ball to bowl to Joe Root in Manchester three years ago, Cummins swung the ball in and straightened it just slightly off the seam to take the top of Brathwaite's off stump.
The quick also returned to clean up the tail for figures of 3-34, as West Indies lost their last six wickets for 38 runs against the second new ball.
And it was Starc that did most of the damage.
Three overs after Cummins' blow to rid of Brathwaite, Starc nipped a ball back through Kyle Mayers on three.
Then when brought back with the second new ball after tea, the left-armer trapped Blackwood lbw on 36 when he swung one back into the right-hander's front pad.
Joshua da Silva was Starc's next victim on zero, swinging hard at one that hooped back between his bat and pad and disrupted his stumps.
Nathan Lyon took 2-61 while Cameron Green bagged a late wicket, getting Shamarh Brooks caught behind.
Brooks had only been brought into the match as a concussion substitute for Nkrumah Bonner, who was struck in the helmet by a Green bouncer in the first session.
Hazlewood also bowled better than his figures of 1-53 suggested, after all of Australia's quicks could be accused of being marginally short late on day two.
He regularly beat the edge in Friday's opening session, but only caught it once when he had Tagenarine Chanderpaul caught at first slip for 51 to end his debut innings.
The right-armer also thought he had Jason Holder lbw on on six, before TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena ruled a sound on Snicko was an inside edge.
Holder took advantage, later slog-sweeping Lyon for six before the offspinner had him brilliantly caught by David Warner at leg slip on 27.