Nic Naitanui has stunned Greater Western Sydney with a goal in the dying seconds to help West Coast pinch a heart-stopping one-point win at Spotless Stadium on Saturday evening.
A goal to Rory Lobb with just over a minute to play put the GIANTS six points ahead and looked to have sealed the win, before a desperate kick from Josh Hill with 54 seconds left sailed wide to bring the Eagles within five points.
A desperate tussle ensued before the Eagles' ruckman snapped a sensational goal from a stoppage deep in the forward pocket that sailed through to put West Coast in front. The siren sounded just two seconds later.
GWS had led the game at every change but the narrow loss could prove extremely costly for its top-four chances, while for the Eagles, their hopes for a double chance remain well and truly alive after the 14.13 (97) to 14.12 (96) win.
Midfielder Luke Shuey was outstanding for the visitors and kicked two final-quarter goals – one of them from a controversial head-high free kick paid against GIANT Ryan Griffen - to go with a game-high 38 disposals, with Andrew Gaff, Matt Priddis influential, and star forward Josh Kennedy kicking three goals.
Co-captain Callan Ward battled hard for the home side alongside fellow onballers Stephen Coniglio and Dylan Shiel, while Lobb kicked four goals.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson said his players took the game when it was up for grabs during those final two minutes.
"I'm really proud they were tougher for longer today. They found a way," Simpson said.
"It was the best win we've had as a club in my time, with what we're up against."
"Six-day break, top-four side, interstate, so hopefully we've answered a couple of questions there. Now we've got to back it up."
Despite the tough loss, GWS coach Leon Cameron was in a positive mood after the game.
"We're disappointed as a footy club because we lost a game in that manner, but I'd much prefer to play in those games every week," he said.
"It was a typical A-grade game.
"We got away, they pegged us back; we got away, they pegged us back.
"We'll learn a lot from it and we've come a long way to play in those games, it was a cracking game of footy."
The Eagles missed early chances with Kennedy and Mark LeCras both off target, and it took until the 10-minute mark for GWS forward Jonathon Patton to bag the game's opener, after he dragged in a powerful pack mark 15m from goal.
The home side led by 23 points after Lobb and Ryan Griffen slotted goals early in the second term, but West Coast then seized the momentum.
Poor disposal from the GIANTS’ defensive 50, coupled with two costly 50m penalties helped the Eagles to four goals in a row with LeCras and Kennedy among the action, before a late goal to Patton saw the GIANTS snatch a handy five-point half-time advantage.
With some healthy travelling support in full voice, the Eagles kicked three of the first four goals after the main break and established a seven-point lead, but after Brad Sheppard snapped a brilliant goal at the midway point of the quarter, the GIANTS slammed on five straight to stretch the margin back out to 23 points at three-quarter time.
A third for Kennedy just a minute into the final term gave West Coast what it hoped would be a spark but both sides struggled to score until Priddis grabbed his second amid controversy 13 minutes in.
GIANTS defender Adam Kennedy was knocked out when his head crashed into the turf after a sling tackle from Eagles youngster Simon Tunbridge, which is sure to be looked at by the Match Review Panel, and the spilt footy ended with the Priddis goal.
Kennedy was taken off on a stretcher after a long delay with his side in front by 11 points, before the Eagles kicked three in a row to level the scores, and Lobb's fourth looked to have secured the victory for the GIANTS.
Naitanui, who had a fantastic battle with GIANTS star Shane Mumford all night, then broke the hearts of the locals with his second, and most important goal of the season as the clock ticked down.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 3.3 6.7 12.10 14.12 (96)
WEST COAST 1.4 5.8 8.11 14.13 (97)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Lobb 4, Patton 2, Smith 2, Griffen 2, Johnson, Cameron, Scully, Greene
West Coast: Kennedy 3, LeCras 2, Priddis 2, Shuey 2, Naitanui 2, Sheppard, Hutchings, Sheed
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Ward, Greene, Coniglio, Griffen, Shiel, Lobb
West Coast: Shuey, Kennedy, Priddis, Gaff, Yeo, Naitanui
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Kennedy (TBC)
West Coast: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Stevic, Harris
Official crowd: 10,385 at Spotless Stadium
