WEST Coast turned a corner, but it wasn't enough to see off the experience of Geelong as the Cats climbed back into the top-four with an 18-point win at Optus Stadium on Saturday.
In the week that the Eagles celebrated the 30th anniversary of their inaugural premiership, the team lifted to the occasion, but Geelong steadied late to win 12.9 (81) to 9.9 (63).
It was a game that felt like it had two winners, with the Cats extending their winning run to four games as they prepare to make an assault on the premiership, and the Eagles proving they will be a different proposition in the second-half of the season.
Only 11 points separated the teams halfway through the final term when West Coast midfielder Connor West converted a long set shot to give the last-placed Eagles a sense of hope.
But it was star Geelong forward Tom Hawkins who settled the result, however, when he held his nerve to cap off a day in which he kicked his 700th career goal, becoming only the 26th VFL/AFL player to achieve the milestone.
Geelong midfielders Cameron Guthrie (25 disposals and 13 tackles) and Joel Selwood (24 and six clearances) were strong performers, while small forward Tyson Stengle booted three goals to prove the difference in the match.
The Cats also had a significant advantage in the ruck, with Mark Blicavs and Rhys Stanley combining to give them a 44-26 advantage in hit-outs and 38-29 in clearances.
As much the Eagles had arguably their best team on paper for the season, they lost their best performer pre-game to illness in Tim Kelly, and Jeremy McGovern suffered a rib injury that ended his day before half-time.
From their youngest player in debutant Rhett Bazzo, however, to their oldest in champion forward Josh Kennedy, the Eagles fought and scrapped all day to make the match a contest.
Premiership star Elliot Yeo (22 and 11 rebound 50s) returned to play a new role across half-back and was excellent, with midfield pair Andrew Gaff (27) and Jack Redden (24 and seven clearances) fighting at the coalface.
The hallmarks of an upset were there early as West Coast brought good pressure to the contest and let its ball movement flow from there, taking more risks than it has this season.
The Eagles kept pace with their fancied opponents for the majority of the first term, but three straight goals either side of quarter-time from the Cats saw them break away to a 25-point lead.
It was then that star defender McGovern left the ground after cannoning into Jeremy Cameron's hip, putting the Eagles in a vulnerable position.
The team lifted again, however, going on a thrilling four-goal run, with Kennedy, Jake Waterman and Jamie Cripps all converting set shots in a four-minute burst.
Returning speedster Jack Petruccelle then snapped a brilliant goal in traffic to level scores as half-time approached.
The Cats put their match-winning gap in the game early in the third quarter with a three-goal run, including Hawkins' 700th, which came after a free kick inside 50.
They extended the lead to 24 points deep in the quarter to set too big a challenge for the home side, who didn't stop trying to mount what would have been a thrilling upset.
WEST COAST 2.3 6.5 8.6 9.9 (63)
GEELONG 4.4 6.5 11.6 12.9 (81)
GOALS
West Coast: Waterman 2, Kennedy 2, Cripps 2, Petruccelle, Rioli, West
Geelong: Stengle 3, Hawkins 3, Menegola 2, Cameron, Close, Duncan, Smith
BEST
West Coast: Yeo, Redden, Gaff, Barrass, Shuey, Cripps
Geelong: Guthrie, Selwood, Stengle, Blicavs, Cameron, Menegola
INJURIES
West Coast: McGovern (ribs)
Geelong: Nil
LATE CHANGES
West Coast: Tim Kelly (illness) replaced in selected side by Jackson Nelson
Geelong: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Greg Clark (replaced McGovern in the second quarter)
Geelong: Francis Evans (unused)
