The WAFL Eagles have upset reigning premiers East Fremantle with an incredible four-point win at Mineral Resources Park on Sunday.
The home side snapped a 28-game losing streak and tasted victory for the first time since round 10, 2022.
Exciting Eagles forward Liam Ryan made a successful return to football after spending extensive time on the sidelines recovery from a hamstring injury.
Ryan was played down back and impressed with his speed and pressure around the contest.
East Fremantle got on top of the Eagles early, West Coast struggling to convert their efforts around the ground onto the scoreboard, missing crucial opportunities in front of goal.
Zane Trew offered some relief halfway through the first term, kicking West Coast’s first major, a thumping kick and impressive effort from outside 50.
The Sharks kicked four unanswered goals heading into the quarter-time break, before Trey Ruscoe stopped the onslaught with a crucial goal on the siren.
Young Eagles’ recruit Clay Hall started the second quarter on a high note, taking a strong grab and kicking truly through the big sticks.
East Fremantle powered on in the second term, kicking three unanswered goals, before Tyrell Dewar kicked an impressive set shot from deep in the left pocket.
The Eagles showed determination and resilience, applying pressure in every contest and demonstrating incredible teamwork around the ground.
In his second game of League football, Harvey Johnston opened his account on the back of a strong coast-to-coast run from West Coast, before Ruscoe made it back-to-back goals and closed the margin to just 11 points at the main break.
The Eagles turned up the heat in the third term, kicking four goals to the Sharks’ two, Shannon Lucassen kicking his first for the day in the dying seconds of the third quarter to give West Coast a two-point lead heading into the final quarter.
Jai Culley extended West Coast’s lead to eight points at the start of the fourth, but East Fremantle weren’t backing down from the challenge, responding in kind and keeping supporters on the edge of their seats.
The Eagles managed to hang on to a four-point lead as the seconds counted down, and the boys in blue and gold finally felt the joy of victory as the final siren sounded.
West Coast take on Peel Thunder next Saturday at Optus Stadium, bouncedown at 2:00pm.
WEST COAST 2.7 6.10 10.13 13.17
EAST FREMANTLE 5.2 9.3 11.5 14.7
GOALS
West Coast: Ruscoe 3; Johnston 2; Trew, Hall, Dewar, Eastough, Gillbee, Lucassen, Culley, Mercer. East Fremantle: Hagan, Lawler, Scoenfeld 2; Murdock, B McGuire, R McGuire, Turner, Leggett, Jansen, Zadow, English
BEST
West Coast: Ruscoe, Trew, Gaff, Sheed, Ryan, Jones. East Fremantle: Murdock, Teakle, Jansen, Turner, Bennett, Joyce
Crowd: TBC at Mineral Resources Park
