West Coast was defeated on Sunday, but the Eagles lost no admirers as they pushed a finals-hunting Western Bulldogs to the brink at Marvel Stadium.
One Eagle that has emerged in recent weeks is key defender Rhett Bazzo.
The 22-year-old was out of the side to start the season, but with injuries to Harry Edwards and Reuben Ginbey, he's had a chance to stake his claim in defence and has made the most of the opportunity.
Speaking after the match, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter said he didn't expect Bazzo to emerge as the player he has in recent weeks.
"To be fair, I wasn't sure how much Rhett would play this year at the start of the year," McQualter said.
"And that's with Reuben and Harry; he might have been third or fourth in line, but through circumstance, he has proved himself to be a really capable AFL defender, key back. He's made enormous growth, I've got a lot of trust in the way he plays.
"(Aaron) Naughton's a great player, and he obviously scored today and had a big impact on the game, but I thought Rhett competed reasonably well among that."
Teammate and fellow defender Brandon Starcevich played his best game yet in Eagles colours as his physicality and defensive nous were at the fore all day despite multiple blows to his head and ankle.
Starcevich has a history of concussion, which left McQualter feeling nervous as he came from the ground for a cut on his head and then for a twisted ankle.
"He's a warrior, and he has proved that for 10 years in the AFL system now, and it's definitely the best game he has played for us," he said.
"I thought it was huge steps forward for him.
"I was pretty nervous for that moment when he rolled his ankle and went off as well; it looked worse than what it appeared to be at the time. I just told him it was a bit of carry on, rub some dirt on it and get back out there, and he was good to go.
"(Milan Murdock's shoulder) is okay, it was just a stinger in the end. Again, it looked pretty bad, but fortunately it was just a stinger, and he went back out."
