A spirited West Coast outfit pushed Essendon all the way before falling short by 30 points on Sunday afternoon.
A sealer from Bombers veteran Dyson Heppell secured the Dons' 19.8 (122) to 13.14 (92) win under the Marvel Stadium roof.
Strong periods from the Eagles late in the first and third terms kept them within arm's reach of Essendon, but in the end simply couldn't rein in the margin.
Both sides were opened up defensively when the opposition chose to move the ball with speed. A typically staunch Essendon backline was finding itself disorganised and tense early when the Eagles cut through end-to-end, but tightened up as the game wore on.
Meanwhile West Coast was guilty of allowing Essendon midfielders to slip forward into space with no direct opponent to compete with. Jake Stringer and Sam Durham frequently started in the middle and pushed forward to exploit this lack of attention from the Eagles' midfielders.
Too often were the Eagles drawn en masse to the ball carrier, allowing the home side to hit neat kicks through the corridor. This easy transition was aided by the Bombers' disciplined structure, always maintaining balance in layers around the contest, leaving several exits for the ball carrier at any moment.
Lapses in concentration let West Coast down, and in those patches the Bombers were sure to score heavily, including three goals in four minutes late in the second quarter.
Around the contest the Eagles enjoyed some real dynamism when it came to ball winners.
Consistent performers Elliot Yeo (20 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) and Liam Duggan (19 disposals, three clearances) were a regular presence, while Liam Ryan's ability to clear the ball out the front of the stoppage proved damaging, and Reuben Ginbey's work to minimise Zach Merrett's impact added an element of physicality.
Jamie Cripps was a standout with two goals from 19 disposals, while spearhead Jake Waterman kept his strong form going with three majors. Jack Darling and Jack Petruccelle both chipped in with two majors apiece.
Tom Barrass was impassable down back with 12 intercept possessions and some brilliant strong marks under pressure.
West Coast co-captain Oscar Allen (two goals, nine marks) broke through for his first goal of the season in the third quarter upon his return from a knee injury, and certainly became a factor for Essendon's defence to contend with as the game was in the balance.
A bag of five goals for Essendon star Jake Stringer came as a result of time split between the midfield and forward line, while Sam Durham was absolutely relentless for the Bombers with 29 disposals, five clearances and a goal.
ESSENDON 4.2 10.4 14.5 19.8 (122)
WEST COAST 4.3 6.5 11.10 13.14 (92)
GOALS
Essendon: Stringer 5, Caddy 2, Guelfi 2, Langford 2, Wright 2, Caldwell, Durham, Duursma, Heppell, Hind, Merrett
West Coast: Waterman 3, Allen 2, Cripps 2, Darling 2, Petruccelle 2, Chesser, Yeo
BEST
Essendon: Durham, Merrett, Stringer, McKay, Caldwell, Martin
West Coast: Cripps, Ryan, McGovern, Duggan, Yeo
INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
West Coast: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Todd Goldstein (managed), replaced in the selected side by Nate Caddy
West Coast: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Jye Menzie (replaced Nik Cox in the fourth quarter)
West Coast: Jack Hutchinson (replaced Ryan Maric in the fourth quarter)
Crowd: 40,840 at Marvel Stadium
