The cream rose to the top in this hotly contested game and one West Coast Eagles star who relished the challenge was wingman Andrew Gaff.

The indefatigable midfielder, so long playing the role of the old-fashioned link man between defence and attack, continued his trademark run, punching out kilometre after kilometre to assist with the clearance out of the back half and connecting with the forwards.

He had 12 kicks and 20 handballs in another quality display, nine of those being contested possessions, and he was responsible for three inside 50 metre entries.

In collusion with Tim Kelly, Luke Shuey and Dom Sheed – who were also highly influential – they created the never-say-die attitude of the Eagles who refused to yield.

In the absence of gun midfielders Elliot Yeo and Jack Redden, versatile talls Oscar Allen and Jake Waterman and defender Jackson Nelson, who has been outstanding this season, the Eagles might have lost but they lost no friends.