West Coast Eagles have produced a statement win to strengthen their hopes of a breakthrough AFLW finals campaign after a 31-point win over Geelong at Sullivan Logistics Stadium.
In a must-win game for their finals hopes, Daisy Pearce's fledgling Eagles treated the occasion with the respect it deserved, arrived with an attitude and comprehensively outplayed their fellow finals contenders en route to a 7.8 (50) to 2.7 (19) win.
In what was arguably the most impressive win in the club's AFLW history, Ella Roberts once again dazzled -- but she was far from alone.
Emma Swanson and Bella Lewis got over the footy and under their opponents' skins in midfield, Lucia Painter kicked three goals as her and Charlotte Riggs were impressive in the forward line, while Roxy Roux patrolled the skies down back.
The Eagles had started the game hanging onto eighth spot, one win ahead of the 10th-placed Geelong, but victory saw them temporarily move into sixth and level on points with Brisbane in fourth.
In what was a finals-like game and atmosphere, the Eagles won the physical battle, attacking the ball at ground level and bringing a ferocity to their tackles and contests which unnerved Geelong.
And even when the Cats got their kick-mark game going, they could not penetrate the Eagles' defensive web.
Roberts began like a house on fire and had four of West Coast's nine opening quarter inside 50s and two score assists from her eight disposals as she left her imprint on the game.
Bella Lewis's roved ball and tidy finish proved to be the sole goal of the opening term, but the Eagles did not make enough of their early territory and kicked three behinds to only lead by six at the first change.
Painter had proved to be a problem for Geelong's defence leading up to the footy in the first quarter, and it continued in the second when she won a free-kick while attempting to mark before calmly slotting the goal.
When Abigail Bushby hit Amy Franklin low on the lead and the forward converted her set-shot, the Eagles led by 19 points, although Zali Friswell's goal up the other end after the siren narrowed the deficit at half-time.
Down at the main break, you would've expected a response from Geelong, but the Eagles never let them get close. Lauren Wakfer was impressive all game and her set-shot goal off a 50m penalty felt like it killed the game off.
Then Swanson made it two in quick succession with a tidy finish after Wakfer and Riggs did well to tee her up. Painter's second put the icing on the cake with a quarter to play - and when it looked like the Eagles would end the final term goalless, she added a third from downtown to bring the house down.