IT IS an iconic image from one of the AFL's most storied rivalries.
Whenever you think of Sydney and West Coast's arm wrestles from the mid-2000s, the famous scene of Swans star Michael O'Loughlin bellowing inches from an Eagles fan's face is always front of mind.
That moment symbolised the pure passion evoked between two proud clubs during an era of enthralling contests.
Between 2005 and '07, the Swans and Eagles faced off in an incredible stretch of six games decided by less than a goal – including two Grand Finals.
Fittingly, the sides shared one premiership each, but it looked bleak for the Eagles when O'Loughlin claimed a stirring one-point victory for reigning premier Sydney in the dying stages of the 2006 qualifying final.
Where and when
West Coast earned the right to host the qualifying final after finishing a game clear of Adelaide on top of the ladder in '06 with a 17-5 record.
The previous season, the Eagles outlasted Sydney by four points in the first week of finals but then lost the Grand Final by the same margin, with Swans defender Leo Barry becoming a hero with a match-saving pack mark in the dying seconds.
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West Coast and Sydney had only clashed once during the 2006 season, with the Swans getting over the line by two points in round 15 in another low-scoring thriller in Perth.
The next time the miserly Paul Roos-led Swans ventured to Subiaco Oval, they were playing for the right to host a preliminary final.
The moment
The Eagles were clinging to a five-point lead into time-on of the final term as David Wirrpanda pumped the ball high and long to the top of their goalsquare.
Nobody could take a mark, and when the Swans gathered in the back pocket they had nothing to lose.
In a daring chain of possessions, Sydney swept the ball forward and found Nick Malceski bursting through the centre square. The left-footer drove a searching kick to a one-on-one contest as West Coast's defenders scrambled.
Malceski's floating drop punt caught Drew Banfield out of position 30m from goal and the Eagles veteran tried to fist the ball out of danger, instead achieving the worst imaginable result by thumping it directly into O'Loughlin's path in the goalsquare.
The Swans star duly converted from point-blank range, ran through to the fence and screamed inches away from irate Eagles cheer squad member Daniel Williams' face in a show of raw emotion.
Though the picture is iconic, the gif perhaps tells the story best - O'Loughlin baying in jubilation as the cheer squad members shrink back.
What they said
"It was an epic battle," O'Loughlin reflected on that 2006 qualifying final in an interview with News Ltd six years later.
"It was always going to be one of those games which was close. You could never feel comfortable.
"The poor guy (Williams), the momentum had taken me through to the fence, and it was just one of those things.
"You hit the front, you're always pumped, and a photographer (Phil Hillyard) took that snap."
What happened next
O'Loughlin's fourth goal at the 26-minute mark (Barry Hill bagged five) wasn't the final act.
Nearly five more minutes elapsed, but the Swans' sheer desperation was enough to hold West Coast scoreless as the visitors hung on for a 13.7 (85) to 12.12 (84) win.
O'Loughlin leads the celebrations after 2006's qualifying final win.
By snatching a famous victory on hostile territory, the Swans secured a home preliminary final and defeated Fremantle by 35 points.
West Coast was consigned to treading a more difficult path.
The Eagles took out their frustration in a 74-point pummeling of the Bulldogs in a home semi-final, before clinching a stunning 10-point victory over Adelaide at Football Park to set the stage for a hugely-anticipated Grand Final rematch.
The Eagles' revenge
After taking a tough road to the decider, the Eagles were wary of running out legs late and got the fast start they needed in the Grand Final, leading by 25 points at the major break after some surprise tactical tweaks by John Worsfold and his coaching team.
Sydney fought back, and was within a point when Daniel Chick smothered and Adam Hunter goaled at the 23-minute mark of the final quarter.
The Swans answered but this time West Coast had the last laugh, holding on for the club's third premiership, incredibly with the same 85-84 score as the qualifying final.
Despair and elation after the 2006 AFL Grand Final.
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Why the rivalry matters
Before the infamous 'Kennett Curse' and rise of the Hawthorn-Geelong rivalry, West Coast and Sydney were the competition's pre-eminent arch-enemies.
West Coast boasted possibly the greatest midfield combination in the game's history in Chris Judd, Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox, and were nearly unstoppable in full flight.
The Swans weren't as joyful to watch, but their grit and sacrifice was something to behold and was ultimately reward with success.
Daniel Chick (l) and Michael O'Loughlin square off.
While the Hawks and Cats' rivalry lasted longer, the Eagles and Swans' compelling drama played out on grander stages and the key moments were arguably more memorable.
Barry's famous mark, Chick's smother and O'Loughlin's goal are forever etched into finals folklore, but the famous (or infamous) scenes didn't end there.
Who can forget Cousins' 38-possession comeback from treatment for drug addiction in a round 16, 2007 victory over the Swans in Perth, or Barry Hall's sheer violence knocking out Eagles defender Brent Staker the next season?
The Eagles-Swans rivalry had it all.
Rivalry renewed?
It was fitting that the Swans were West Coast's opponents when the Eagles started their new era at Optus Stadium in round one, with superstar Lance Franklin stealing the show thanks to a scintillating eight-goal haul.
There is an argument this Friday night's blockbuster at the SCG is the most important match between the sides since the '06 decider.
Adam Simpson's side - unbeaten since the season-opener – can tighten their grip on a top-two berth by moving two games clear of the third-placed hosts, while a Swans victory would bring the Eagles back in sight of the chasing pack and enhance Sydney's flag credentials.
Clashes between the clubs might not have the same zing as last decade but the mutual respect remains and, who knows, perhaps Friday night's contest could foreshadow the next chapter between these famous rivals this September.
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