WEST Coast's finals hopes are almost dead and buried after suffering a 34-point loss to the Sydney Swans in Sunday's clash at Patersons Stadium.
The Swans unleashed a midfield master class to secure the 17.11 (113) to 11.13 (79) triumph, moving the defending premiers within two points of second spot.
In contrast, West Coast is now two wins adrift of eighth place and highly unlikely to reach the finals.
In a further blow, midfielder Luke Shuey was subbed out at half-time with hamstring tightness after missing the past three matches with a hamstring injury.
It was the Swans' seventh straight win over the Eagles and their fifth win in their past six games at Patersons Stadium.
"We were really pleased," Swans coach John Longmire said post-match.
"The midfield was terrific. Across the board, the weight of numbers, across the 22 players we were really good.
"That's what you need when you play West Coast on their home deck. It takes a full team effort. We didn't have many passengers today."
West Coast has struggled at home this season having lost seven matches but no team has brushed the Eagles aside with such ease despite the home side twice getting within 22 points in the last quarter.
The Swans stamped their authority with a scintillating second term. They kicked six goals to two in a devastating display of run and ball movement to set-up at 26-point lead at the long break.
The Swans dominated the midfield battle, with Daniel Hannebery (40 possessions, two goals), Kieren Jack (30 possessions, two goals) and Josh Kennedy (29 possessions, one goal) all starring.
Such was the Swans' dominance, they led the inside-50m count 43-20 at three-quarter time, with their 37-point lead at the final change proving too much to run down for the Eagles.
To its credit, West Coast's tackling was fanatical in the opening term as it has been for the past month.
The Eagles laid 31 tackles for the quarter to keep themselves within eight points at quarter-time but their work-rate dropped off in the second term.
"Their midfield, they beat our midfield today," Eagles coach John Worsfold said.
"There's no doubt about that. We were pretty happy with the effort our boys put up, but again just a little bit undermanned in that regard."
Former Demon Cale Morton finished with 16 possessions and one goal in a promising performance after replacing Shuey for the start of the third quarter. However, the Swans kicked two goals to one to extend the lead to 32 points at the last change.
The Eagles threatened to mount a miraculous comeback in the final term.
West Coast's Josh Kennedy kicked four goals to maintain his lead in the Coleman Medal and third halfway through the last term to cut the margin to 22.
But the substitution of Ryan O'Keefe for Harry Cunningham steadied the Swans immediately. Cunningham ran 40m from a clearance with his first touch to set up Kurt Tippett's second goal.
Hannebery kicked the sealer courtesy of brilliant crumbing from Kennedy and Tippett bagged his third goal to put it beyond doubt.
WEST COAST 3.4 5.6 6.8 11.13 (79)
SYDNEY SWANS 4.4 10.8 12.9 17.11 (113)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 4, Wellingham, Dalziell, Morton, Cox, Darling, Naitanui, Masten
Sydney Swans: Tippett 3, Pyke 2, Lamb 2, K.Jack 2, Hannebery 2, Kennedy, Parker, White, Bolton, Mumford, B.Jack
BEST
West Coast: Masten, Priddis, Kennedy, LeCras, Glass, Darling
Sydney Swans: Hannebery, K.Jack, Kennedy, McVeigh, Pyke, Smith
INJURIES
West Coast: Rosa (replaced in selected side), Brennan (replaced in selected side), Shuey (hamstring)
Sydney Swans: O’Keefe (leg)
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Cale Morton replaced Luke Shuey (hamstring) at half-time
Sydney Swans: Harry Cunningham replaced Ryan O’Keefe (leg) during the final quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Meredith, Foot
Official crowd: 35,166 at the Patersons Stadium
