1. It had been a big week for hard working forward Jamie Cripps with the arrival of his second child. And he capped off a momentous seven days with a brilliant five-goal performance against the Bulldogs. Often Cripps’ gut running goes unrewarded, but in this instance he managed to create opportunities in front of goal, kicking three in the last quarter that played a pivotal role in the victory.

2. The courage of Jeremy McGovern was there for everyone to see when he played in the 2018 Grand Final. And it was there again against the Bulldogs, showing no regard for his own safety when he put his body in the way of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan when he was on a charging lead. McGovern was heavily collected, spent some time on the bench composing himself and returned to be one of the keys in an epic victory. He was simply inspiring.

00:30

Allen and Yeo put on early show

Two goals in quick succession from Oscar Allen and Elliot Yeo extends the Eagles' lead

3. Another of the senior Eagles gave a reminder of his prowess with Elliot Yeo also producing an outstanding performance. He played in defence and through the midfield and his explosive power was important. Unfortunately, the load in the midfield may have created a situation where he has a slight hamstring issue which will put him in doubt for the final match against Adelaide on Saturday night.

4. Surprisingly the Eagles lost the contested possession count and the inside 50s (50-53) but they won the clearances (+3). More importantly the pressure factor across the game was 1.95 and anything approaching 2.00 is considered elite. The Eagles were relentless in their hunt and applying heat on the Bulldogs when they had possession.

08:15

Simpson post-match v Dogs

Senior coach Adam Simpson addresses the media following his side's road victory against the Western Bulldogs in Round 23

5. The impact of the youngsters on the season has been pronounced and recognised through the year with three players receiving Rising Star nominations. But a couple of players with several years on the senior list have also been prominent through the year. Bailey Williams has carried the No.1 ruck mantle all year and again had a good battle with Tim English while it looms as a break-out season for Jack Petruccelle. The Eagles speedster again showed his versatility when he played much of this game through the midfield, even running with Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli at times.