WEST Coast survived a stunning Western Bulldogs fight back and some inaccurate kicking in the second half to emerge eight-point winners at Domain Stadium on Friday night.
Despite holding sway for most of a scrappy match, the inaccurate Eagles couldn't deliver the knockout blow on an undermanned Bulldogs outfit and had to fight tooth and nail late to fall over the line, 9.15 (69) to 8.13 (61).
If the Eagles had been overrun, they would only have had themselves to blame after kicking 1.9 in a woefully wasteful second half.
Dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy (3.6) was the chief offender, missing three golden opportunities from set shots to put the Doggies down once and for all after the Eagles led by 17 points at the final change.
Sure enough, Bulldogs acting skipper Easton Wood breathed life into the visitors' cause only moments later, and when Lukas Webb booted his second the margin was back to just nine points with eight minutes to play.
Running half-back Jason Johannisen had a flying shot at goal deep in the final term that sailed wide and the Eagles survived.
West Coast's third-straight victory – coming after a barrage of criticism following a round five capitulation to Hawthorn at the MCG – has, at least for now, propelled Adam Simpson's men to second on the ladder with a 6-2 record.
But the Dogs are now back in the pack hunting for top-eight spots after their third loss.
Falling behind has become a trait for Luke Beveridge's men, but on this occasion the weakened Dogs – missing a host of key players – didn't have the necessary firepower to ransack the Eagles' fortress.
West Coast has now won nine of the last 10 games at Domain Stadium – the only loss coming in last year's 47-point humbling from the Dogs.
In that final, the Bulldogs' midfield out-hunted West Coast and took the first step on a fairytale September towards a drought-breaking premiership.
But on Friday night, the Eagles had a point to prove and matched the Dogs' toughness at the contest (127-132 contested possessions).
Chris Masten (11 contested disposals) led the way at the coalface, with usual suspects Matt Priddis (24 disposals), Sam Mitchell, Luke Shuey (20) and Elliot Yeo (29) willing to get their hands dirty.
Yeo's hyped match-up with Marcus Bontempelli (24 disposals) failed to materialise, although the resurgent Eagle locked onto the superstar at the opening bounce, and West Coast was able to keep the top Dog on a tight enough leash.
Yeo was important late with his intercept marking across half-back, while Mitchell (33 possessions) equaled St Kilda great Robert Harvey's 118 games with 30-plus disposals in a best afield display.
The former Hawthorn champion was instrumental early in the face of some frenetic Bulldogs pressure.
The handball-happy Dogs got off to a dream start when returning spearhead Jack Redpath (three goals) steered through the opening major.
Dogs ran from everywhere to celebrate with the monster forward, who was included after bagging six goals in his VFL comeback from a knee reconstruction last weekend.
The visitors worried the Eagles by flicking the ball through traffic, and the home crowd grew increasingly restless until Dom Sheed (23 disposals, two goals) baulked and kicked truly after 13 minutes.
West Coast clicked into gear with four unanswered majors – including two to quick-thinking snaps by Jack Darling and Kennedy – handing the Eagles a 16-point break at the opening change.
Momentum swung throughout the second term before West Coast, aided by a controversial goal-line touch by Jeremy McGovern, got the game on their terms.
Sheed and Darling's second majors extended the margin to 23 points at the 24-minute mark of an engrossing term, but refusing to go away is bred into these Dogs' DNA.
When Redpath booted two point-blank goals the tenacious visitors were back within striking distance and only trailed by 17 at the long change.
Inaccuracy plagued both sides after half-time, but it was the home side's early damage that eventually told.
Jack Macrae (32 disposals) and Caleb Daniel (30) were mighty for the visitors, especially late, but the Eagles had more contributors in an anxious finish.
WEST COAST 4.2 8.6 9.10 9.15 (69)
WESTERN BULLDOGS 1.4 5.7 6.11 8.13 (61)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 3, Darling 2, Sheed 2, Duggan, Gaff
Bulldogs: Redpath 3, Webb 2, Adams, McLean, Wood
BEST
West Coast: Mitchell, Hurn, Gaff, Sheed, Kennedy, Masten
Bulldogs: Daniel, Macrae, Jong, Bontempelli, Dahlhaus, Redpath
INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Bulldogs: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Dalgleish, Stevic, Findlay
Official crowd: 38,934
