West Coast went down in heartbreaking fashion at Mineral Resources Park on Saturday evening, falling to Swan Districts by five points in a thrilling contest, 11.7 (73) to 11.12 (78).
With both sides out of finals contention, pride was on the line in the clash between 10th and 8th on the ladder, and the Eagles were determined to deliver in front of their home fans.
The evening also marked a special milestone for Andries Mercer, who ran out for his 50th WAFL game in blue and gold.
Despite the gallant effort, Swan Districts maintained their unbeaten record against West Coast with a last-minute goal sealing the result.
The Eagles burst out of the blocks, setting the tone with relentless defensive pressure and sharp rebound work.
Jack Petruccelle opened the scoring after 10 minutes, before key forward Jack Williams and Coen Livingstone added majors to give West Coast a 14-point buffer.
The Swans were held goalless in the opening term as the Eagles took a 13-point lead into quarter time.
Shannon Lucassen extended the advantage with a classy finish early in the second quarter, before the Swans hit back through Jye Chalcraft and Jehb O’Donohue to reduce the margin to just five points at the main break.
The third quarter turned into a shootout, with momentum swinging from end to end. The Swans hit the front for the first time through Ayden Cartwright, but the Eagles answered through Josh Burke and Williams, who proved a constant target up forward.
Loch Rawlinson showed composure to steady West Coast late in the term, while Williams’ third goal kept the Eagles within striking distance.
The stage was set for a grandstand finish, with just seven points separating the sides at the final change.
On debut for Swan Districts, Leon Kickett struck early in the last quarter, followed by an Otis Harvey goal to push the margin out to 18 points.
But Harry Barnett sparked the Eagles with two towering contested marks and goals in quick succession, before adding a third in the dying stages to put West Coast in front and send the Mineral Resources Park crowd into raptures.
It looked as though the Eagles were about to break their hoodoo against the Swans, but Cartwright’s last-minute major cruelly denied them the breakthrough win.
Jesse Turner was superb for Swan Districts with 34 disposals and a goal, supported by Chris Cipro (26 disposals, one goal) and Nathan Blakely (22 disposals, one goal).
For the Eagles, Tyrell Dewar led the way with 24 touches, five marks and two tackles, while Thomas Edwards-Baldwin laid nine tackles to go with his 22 disposals.
Williams finished with three goals and eight hit outs in a strong performance, while Barnett’s fourth-quarter heroics almost lifted West Coast over the line.
While the result was disappointing, the Eagles’ effort was spirited and entertaining in a high-quality contest. They will look to carry that energy into their final game of the season next Saturday against South Fremantle, with an opportunity to finish 2025 on a high.
WEST COAST: 3.1 4.2 8.4 11.7 (73)
SWAN DISTRICTS: 0.6 2.9 8.11 (78)
GOALS
West Coast: Williams (3), Barnett (3), Petruccelle, Livingstone, Lucassen, Burke, Rawlinson. Swan Districts: O’Donohue (2), Cartwright (2), Chalcraft, Blakely, Reidy, Smith, Turner, Kickett, Harvey.
BEST
West Coast: Dewar, Edwards-Baldwin, Barnett, Grego, Johnston, Petruccelle, Williams, Jamieson, Livingstone. Swan Districts: Turner, Cipro, Blakely, O’Donohue, Contellessa, McLaughlan, Cartwright.
