JOSH KENNEDY has kicked a career-high 11 goals to lead West Coast to a clinical 111-point smashing of Greater Western Sydney on Sunday afternoon.
Kennedy kicked a perfect 11.0 in the 30.8 (188) to 12.5 (77) demolition at Patersons Stadium, with the result lifting West Coast into seventh spot on the table.
But fellow Eagles forward Mark LeCras faces a nervous wait after being reported for his high, late bump that caught Will Hoskin-Elliott flush in the face in the opening quarter.
In a week where the bump has dominated headlines, LeCras took a major gamble when he opted to unleash a hip-and-shoulder on Hoskin-Elliott just after the Giants forward had kicked the ball.
Although Hoskin-Elliott wasn't badly hurt by the incident, LeCras is almost certain to be under the gun given the high contact.
West Coast coach Adam Simpson said his players were clear about when they could and couldn’t bump.
"If you hit someone in the head then you're in strife, that's the basic feel at the moment," he said.
But he said he had not had a chance to look at the incident.
"I do know he's a fair player," he said. "He’s never been reported before and sometimes I think with his arm that he thinks he should bump rather than tackle. So there’s some things there. I can see why he did it."
LeCras won't be alone in the 'high bump' basket, with Docker Paul Duffield, Bulldog Liam Jones and Hawk Jarryd Roughead also set to be scrutinised.
GWS was dealt a huge blow in the opening minutes when key defender Nick Haynes was subbed off with an ankle injury.
It was a setback the Giants could ill afford, especially with Kennedy in white-hot touch.
West Coast had booted a combined 30.51 during its four-match losing run.
But five straight goals from Kennedy in the opening half set the Eagles straight, with West Coast piling on 19 goals in the second half to heap further misery on the Giants.
LeCras, in his first game back since breaking his arm in round three, finished with four goals from 22 possessions.
But the day belonged to Kennedy.
Everything he touched turned to gold.
In the second quarter, Kennedy unleashed a mongrel punt from 55m that swung right and looked set to land short.
But some late swing brought it back on target, with the ball somehow making it through a host of bodies on the line to sneak through for a goal.
Kennedy's previous best was the 10.3 he kicked against the Bulldogs in round nine, 2011.
He kicked his ninth goal against GWS midway through the final quarter, and he was mobbed by teammates after kicking his 10th from a tough angle with six minutes remaining.
Then with just two minutes left on the clock, Kennedy nailed a 40m set shot to make it 11, helping West Coast reach the 30-goal mark for the first time in its history.
The Eagles' total is the highest of any team in 2014, edging out Hawthorn's 27.13 (175) against St Kilda in round three.
It was also the second-highest West Coast score in its history, just four points behind the 29.18 (192) it kicked against the Brisbane Bears in 1988.
When West Coast have won this season, it's generally been by big margins.
But the Eagles’ victims - the Bulldogs, Demons, Saints and Giants - are all expected to finish near the bottom of the table.
West Coast's true challenge will come after next week's bye, when it faces Collingwood (MCG), North Melbourne (home), Hawthorn (Aurora Stadium) and Gold Coast (home).
GWS, missing Jeremy Cameron, Shane Mumford, Phil Davis and Adam Treloar, faces Richmond after its bye.
Coach Leon Cameron said most of those players would be available for the match against the Tigers.
But it was important to address the fact his side hadn't been competitive in the second half against West Coast.
"We're not just going to wipe the game under the carpet," he said.
"We're going to have a look at it when the boys get back on Friday because our guys have got to learn that regardless if you're away from home or have injuries, you've got to be able to hang tough in these sorts of games."
Eagle Josh Kennedy is mobbed by teammates after kicking his 10th goal. Picture: AFL Media
WEST COAST 5.2 11.5 21.5 30.8 (188)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.2 6.2 9.3 12.5 (77)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 11, LeCras 4, Darling 3, Cox 2, Cripps 2, Hutchings 2, Priddis, Shuey, Gaff, Wellingham, Naitanui, Selwood
Greater Western Sydney: Hoskin-Elliott 2, Smith 2, Greene, Palmer, Tomlinson, Giles, Phillips, Lamb, Hunt, Kelly,
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Priddis, Hurn, Rosa, LeCras, Selwood, Cox
Greater Western Sydney: Greene, Ward, Palmer, Tomlinson, Kennedy, Kelly
INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nick Haynes (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Xavier Ellis replaced Andrew Gaff during the third quarter
Greater Western Sydney: Jed Lamb replaced Nick Haynes during the first quarter
Reports: Mark LeCras for rough conduct on Will Hoskin-Elliott in the first quarter
Umpires: Margetts, Mollison, O’Gorman
Official crowd: 29,391 at the Patersons Stadium
