West Coast’s current and future stars shone brightly as the Eagles overcame a 30-point deficit to post an upset 17-point win over North Melbourne in front of 47,083 fans at Optus Stadium.
The Kangaroos looked set for an easy win in Sunday’s match in Perth after racing to a 49-19 lead early in the second quarter.
But the Eagles slammed through eight of the next nine goals to turn the match on its head.
Elliot Yeo (19 disposals, two goals), Harley Reid (30 disposals) and Jamie Cripps (three goals) played key roles in the 17.9 (111) to 15.4 (94) win, snapping the club’s 12-game losing run.
West Coast’s young talent shone brightly.
No.1 draft pick Willem Duursma kicked two goals from 15 disposals as well as taking a stunning pack mark in the final quarter.
No.4 pick Cooper Duff-Tytler kicked two goals himself, while second-year forward Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid also chipped in with a pair of majors each, along with mature-age recruit Milan Murdock.
Reid sustained a physical battering throughout the game but managed to stay on-task to have a critical influence on the contest.
North Melbourne forward Nick Larkey kicked six goals while Harry Sheezel (40 disposals), Luke Davies-Uniacke (32 disposals) and ruckman Tristan Xerri (25 disposals, 44 hit-outs, seven clearances) were also influential, though it wasn’t enough for the visitors.
The Kangaroos lost key defender Griffin Logue to a thigh injury in the opening minutes of the match.
West Coast also suffered a major blow when key defender Harry Edwards – playing his first game back from concussion – suffered another concussion late in the opening quarter through an accidental arm to the head from teammate Matt Flynn in a marking contest.
Larkey feasted with three goals as North Melbourne piled on seven in a dominant opening term, with the Eagles’ horror skill errors proving costly.
The margin sat at 24 points at quarter-time, but West Coast turned the tables in the second term as their hunt and pressure reaped four turnover goals.
Larkey kicked a late major against the run of play to give North a seven-point buffer at half-time, but West Coast’s momentum continued in the third as they piled on eight goals to two to take a 30-point lead into the final change.
Duff-Tytler took a pack mark to get things going, Shanahan dribbled a quick snap to go with a 50m set shot from the boundary line, and ruckman Flynn sold some candy before nailing a right-foot checkside.
But it was Yeo’s goal from the boundary line after the three-quarter time siren that got the party started.
While Yeo turned to the crowd to share the moment of magic, North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben felled Reid, sparking a melee.
Larkey slotted two goals early in the final quarter as North clawed the margin back to 11 points, but Jake Waterman kicked a settler before Murdock snapped the sealer.