ESSENDON 2.1 4.5 9.7 11.11 (77) WEST COAST 2.4 8.4 11.6 11.8 (74)
GOALS: Essendon: J Winderlich 3 J Daniher 2 B Stanton D Myers D Zaharakis J Watson P Ambrose P Chapman. West Coast: J Cripps 3 J Kennedy 3 J Darling 2 D Cox L Shuey S Lycett
BEST: Essendon: Hibberd, Heppell, Winderlich, Myers, Hooker, Zaharakis, Baguley. West Coast: Shuey, Mackenzie, Hurn, Priddis, Cripps, Masten.
Injuries: West Coast: S Butler (concussion).
Umpires: Chris Donlon, Ben Ryan, Shane McInerney.
Official Crowd: 35,905 at Etihad Stadium.

If Essendon was looking for some sort of emotional boost at the start of this critical game against West Coast, it couldn't have written a better script than what actually unfolded.

At the first bounce, a Paddy Ryder tap found Dyson Heppell. His quick clearance landed in the arms of Jake Melksham, who dished off a handball to skipper Jobe Watson. And the Brownlow medallist, back in the line up for the first time since round 12, banged it straight through on the run from outside 50 metres to a huge roar from the faithful.

Barely 90 seconds later, it was two goals after a curling snap from David Myers. Had Brendon Goddard's goal not been overturned by a video review, it would have been three goals to zip, one team dominant. As it happened, one team began to dominate anyway. But it wasn't Essendon.

Suddenly, Essendon found itself unable to use the football properly, its attacks constantly intercepted and rebounded. And when West Coast began to clean up its own disposal, it was all one-way traffic.

How much? Well, while it wasn't necessarily reflected on the scoreboard, the stats sheet said plenty. Inside 50s for the first term were 22-6 the Eagles' way, the last 16 of those in a row no less. By the first break, Essendon had turned the ball over in its defensive 50 nine times. That's the sort of figure that screams: "Only a matter of time".

And so it was. West Coast had already got its nose in front by the first change, but it bolted clear pretty much as soon as play got underway again.

Three times in the first six minutes, spearhead Josh Kennedy got on the lead and was in turn hit by three beautiful passes from Mark Hutchings - who was doing a great job on Heppell - then from Josh Hill and Will Schofield. Each time, Kennedy converted, and each time the Eagles' tall forward stocks looked just that little more intimidating.

What counters the Dons could manage were sporadic and in terms of threat, vastly inferior. With no Jake Carlisle, and Michael Hurley fully occupied in defence, the Bombers were relying on Joe Daniher, plus some assistance from small forward types in Paul Chapman, Goddard and even Watson. It meant their delivery had to be more precise than their opponent. But at stages in the first half, the Dons would have been lucky to have hit the side of a barn.

The symbolic moment of it all going belly-up could have been Jason Winderlich marking in the goal square, playing on and getting caught, after which the Eagles promptly booted another two goals through Jamie Cripps to extend the gap to 34 points.

Instead, out of nowhere, Essendon found something. So much so that the considerable margin was closed in an 11-minute burst of five goals, Winderlich, perhaps chastened by his brain fade, a pivotal part with two of them, Heppell breaking the shackles of Hutchings to dominate with a 13-possession quarter, David Zaharakis lifting, and the Bombers continuing to be well served by Michael Hibberd, Myers and Mark Baguley.

Hibberd, who'd played just one of the previous six games, leapt into his task like he was at the height of match fitness, a constant source of rebound and for a time one of the few Bombers who could hit his targets.

The likes of forward pair Chapman and Patrick Ambrose began to bob up for goals. Suddenly, the Dons were within a kick and it was West Coast whose goals seemed like the temporary damming of a flood.

Winderlich's sudden stamp on this game would continue into the last term. First with a behind, then getting on the end of a another surge through the corridor to again put the Dons within a kick. It was Zaharakis who put the Dons in front for the first  time since midway through the opening term.

The rest was pure desperation, two sides that might not progress far into September, but which would gladly bust a boiler to at least have the chance to do so. Hill went close for the Eagles with a behind, the last 90 seconds a toss of the coin until the siren sounded the effective end of West Coast's belated finals charge, and for the Dons at least a stay of execution.

For the home fans, this game ended as it started, on a wave of emotion. It's the stuff in between that tested them, and on which their side will have to do plenty of work if it is to make the past six months' efforts worthwhile.