West Coast produced one of their most convincing performances of the 2026 AFL season, defeating Essendon by 30 points at Optus Stadium and continuing to show signs of meaningful progress in their rebuild.The 12.13 (85) to 8.

7 (55) result marked their fourth win before the bye, effectively removing them from wooden spoon contention and suggesting the squad is beginning to match its talent with consistency and maturity.The Eagles’ performance was built on strong contributions across the ground, with several young and emerging players stepping up.

Harley Reid played with controlled aggression, finishing with 24 disposals and nine score involvements, while Milan Murdock impressed as a defensive forward with three goals and eight score involvements.Reuben Ginbey was arguably the most influential player, successfully limiting Essendon forward Nate Caddy’s impact for most of the match.

Despite losing the clearance count heavily (44–23), West Coast were far more effective once the ball left stoppages, transitioning quickly and capitalising on scoring opportunities.Tim Kelly (28 disposals) and Tom McCarthy (26 disposals and his first AFL goal) also played key roles in maintaining control.Essendon showed brief resistance, particularly through debutant Sullivan Robey, who led his side with nine clearances.However, structural changes under interim coach Dean Solomon, including moving Ben McKay between roles, failed to generate sustained momentum.Injuries and poor forward delivery further hindered their efforts.A decisive run of eight unanswered goals spanning the second and third quarters effectively sealed the match for West Coast.Although Essendon added late goals, the Eagles remained composed, highlighting a growing resilience that had been missing in previous seasons.The result reflects a team on the rise, even if finals contention remains a longer-term goal.