1. Hello, Newman
It had been more than three years since Murray Newman played an AFL game after a jail sentence for inflicting grievous bodily harm interrupted his football career, but it took him just a few minutes to make an impact when he came on to the ground in the last quarter. He almost created a goal when he knocked the ball to a running team mate, but was able to go one better a few minutes later when he snapped truly with his left boot from about 40m. The goal sparked a massive celebration from his teammates, who came from everywhere to congratulate him.

2. It's tough to stop Kennedy, Darling, LeCras, Priddis and Hill
You might have the weapons in your arsenal to stop one, two or even three of them, but the chances are that at least one of them will have an impact. Against the Western Bulldogs, it was Josh Kennedy’s day and the Coleman Medal leader raked in a phenomenal nine marks inside the attacking 50m zone on his way to a seven-goal haul – taking his tally against the Dogs to 35 goals from the past six encounters. Unfortunately for the visitors, Kennedy was ably assisted by Josh Hill, who kicked four of his own, while Mark LeCras had an impact late in the game and even Callum Sinclair bobbed up with a couple. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, had Jake Stringer and Stewart Crameri in great form, while Tory Dickson and Jack Redpath were serviceable. But West Coast just had too many guns and, when they finally got on top in the midfield, the threat posed by the Dogs forwards was effectively neutralised.

3. The Dogs were unbelievably good for three quarters
Forgetting, for a moment, that West Coast is in fantastic form, it was always going to be a tough assignment for the Bulldogs to win this one. It's been five long years since they beat the Eagles in Perth and they have lost the last three match-ups at Domain Stadium between the two sides by an average of 86 points. In addition to their poor recent history against West Coast in Perth, the Bulldogs were also forced to do without the injured Matthew Boyd and Liam Picken. Perhaps most telling in the result was that they went into the game without Jordan Roughead or out-of-favour ruckman Will Minson, leaving Tom Campbell to ruck alone against Nic Naitanui and Callum Sinclair. 

4. It was a cracking first half of football
It's difficult to imagine a more exciting or watchable first half. Nic Naitanui was at his majestic best on his return, Stringer was doing the miraculous and both sides were exerting extraordinary pressure on the opposition ball carriers, forcing turnovers that lead to breakaway goals. It had all the ingredients of a classic between the two most exciting teams in the league. By half-time, 20 goals had been scored – the first time West Coast had been involved in a 20-goal first half since the opening round of 2004 when they narrowly beat the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. The last 20-goal first half game West Coast played in Perth was in mid-2003 when the home side thrashed Carlton. The Bulldogs were involved in a 20-goal first half much more recently – against Carlton last season, also at Etihad Stadium. But the second half fell just short of that mark, the Eagles kicking 14 of the 18 goals scored.

5. The ramifications for the both teams were huge
Fremantle's loss to the Kangaroos shortly before bouncedown opened the door for West Coast to pinch top spot in the final weeks of the season. Equally, a loss against the Western Bulldogs would have dragged the Eagles back to the chasing pack and a top-four finish would have been far from a certainty. Incredibly, they can now consider giving the injured Jeremy McGovern and Will Schofield an extra week to overcome their hamstring injuries by resting them against Adelaide. Meanwhile, the loss puts a severe dent in the Bulldogs' hopes of a top-four finish and has even put them in danger of dropping to the bottom end of the top eight and losing their right to a home game at some stage during the finals series. What a difference a game makes.