The Bombers started in sluggish fashion, falling 21 points behind early in the second quarter, but finished the stronger team, winning 16.10 (106) to 12.18 (90).
Midfielders Sam Lonergan (23 disposals) and Heath Hocking (15 disposals) turned the match for the home side after West Coast, largely through veteran Daniel Kerr (14 possessions and four clearances in the first quarter), dominated contested possession (50-34) and clearances (14-4) in the opening stanza.
With midfield general Jobe Watson (just two first-quarter contested possessions) being blanketed by young Eagle Scott Selwood, Lonergan took it upon himself to swing the contested possession count back towards even.
He won five second-quarter clearances as Essendon, thrashed 21-6 in inside 50s during the Eagles' four-goals-to-two opening term, began to get more ball forward and drew level shortly before half-time.
Moved onto Kerr late in the first term, Hocking restricted the dangerous Eagle to six second-quarter disposals while picking up five touches and kicking two goals of his own.
With the game up for grabs at the beginning of the third quarter, the previously quiet Kyle Reimers turned in a brilliant burst, booting three of four unanswered Essendon goals in the first eight minutes as the Bombers surged clear.
As the momentum turned, Essendon's stars started to get on top.
Skipper Watson (31 disposals) broke free of Selwood's tag to gather 11 third-quarter touches and Angus Monfries, subbed on for the injured Brent Stanton (shoulder) at half-time, had an immediate impact picking up eight disposals for the quarter, including a superb set shot goal from deep in the forward pocket.
Leroy Jetta (16 disposals, four inside 50s) provided the run and carry Essendon lacked early, breaking down West Coast's full ground press.
The Eagles fought hard in the last term to slow the Bombers' run, but were unable to make any serious inroads on Essendon's 24-point three-quarter time lead and fell to their third loss of the season.
Although quieter after quarter-time, Kerr remained West Coast's leading onballer, finishing with 28 disposals.
Key forward Josh Kennedy was tireless all day. He kicked two goals and hit the post twice, symbolic of the Eagles' inaccurate goalkicking.
Influential players
The Eagles built their early lead on the back of a dominant start through the middle of the ground, with ruckmen Nic Naitanui (24 disposals, 27 hitouts) and Dean Cox (15 disposals, 34 hitouts) giving first use to the likes of Kerr, Matt Priddis (27 disposals) and Matt Rosa (22 disposals).
Likewise, Essendon's fightback started in the centre, when first Lonergan (six clearances) and then Watson (nine clearances) started to get first use.
The versatile Michael Hurley was also important.
He started forward but soon moved back as the Bombers' defence was stretched by West Coast's four-pronged tall forward line of Kennedy, Jack Darling, Quinten Lynch and a resting ruckman (Cox/Naitanui).
This enabled veteran defender Dustin Fletcher more opportunity to zone off and become dangerous, and between them the pair amassed 10 rebounds from defensive 50.
What it means
Both sides could take positives from a tough, high-standard match.
Essendon showed maturity to recover from a slow start against a well-drilled opposition.
The Bombers will finish the round in either third or fourth place on the ladder (depending on Carlton's result against St Kilda on Monday night), and will start heavy favourites against the Brisbane Lions next week.
West Coast would be disappointed to lose, particularly given it had more scoring shots and more inside 50 entries (58-47), but like Essendon, John Worsfold's 2011 team has made giant leaps on the wooden-spoon 'winning' Eagles of 2010.
They'll enter next week's WA derby justifiably confident of beating their bitter cross-town rivals Fremantle.
Dream Team highlight
Essendon: Watson's quiet start would have had many of his coaches worried, but he came good to finish with a game-high 127 points, once again more than justifying his $425,000 price tag.
West Coast Eagles: Priced at a tick under $200,000 at season's beginning, many saw Kerr as a value pick-up. Others thought his troublesome hamstring made him simply too risky. His 110 points in this game is a sign that those brave enough to select him might eventually be vindicated.
The next four
Essendon: Brisbane Lions, Richmond, Bye, Melbourne
West Coast Eagles: Fremantle, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Gold Coast
Key match-ups
Jobe Watson v Scott Selwood: The young Eagle's shut-down job on the Bombers captain was critical early, but he was unable to keep the reins on for the entire match, and Watson eventually took the points.
Dustin Fletcher v West Coast's tall forwards: The champion Essendon veteran, who turned 36 this week, looked set for a rough day in the opening half as he rotated between Cox, Naitanui and Kennedy, and at different stages was out-marked one-on-one by all three.
But with the Eagles pushing numbers further up the ground and Hurley and Cale Hooker providing solid support, Fletcher was able to play loose for large periods of the second half, setting up attacking bursts from half-back.
Magic moment
Leroy Jetta lifted Essendon's energy-levels with several trademark line-breaking dashes during the second and third quarters.
The best came at the 23-minute mark of the second term when the lightning-fast 22 year-old burst into space off half-back and found Mark McVeigh in the middle of the ground.
McVeigh in turn passed to Stewart Crameri, who marked, wheeled around immediately and bombed through a monster goal from outside 50 to put the Bombers within six points.
Turning point
Essendon, after working hard to draw level in the second quarter, started the third shakily when it lost the opening centre clearance.
But after fighting and scrambling to clear defensive 50, the ball was scrubbed to Reimers on the half-forward flank.
The dangerous forward had managed just two kicks to that point after booting eight goals against Gold Coast last week, but he gathered cleanly under heavy pressure, turned and banged the ball home from outside 50.
Reimers kicked two more in the next five minutes and Crameri also added one, putting the Bombers 13 points clear and in control by the eight-minute mark.
Essendon 2.1 8.3 14.6 16.10 (106)
West Coast 4.4 9.9 9.12 12.18 (90)
GOALS
Essendon: Reimers 3, Crameri 3, Watson 2, Hocking 2, Hille 2, Bellchambers, Ryder, Zaharakis, Monfries
West Coast: Kennedy 2, Nicoski 2, LeCras 2, Kerr, Darling, Lynch, Ebert, Schofield
BEST
Essendon: Hocking, Lonergan, Watson, Hurley, Heppell, Jetta
West Coast: Priddis, Naitanui, Shuey, Glass, Kennedy, Kerr
INJURIES
Essendon: Stanton (shoulder)
West Coast: None
SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Brent Stanton replaced by Angus Monfries at the start of the third quarter
West Coast: Brad Ebert replaced by Gerrick Weedon at the start of the fourth quarter
Reports: Kyle Reimers reported for tripping Sam Butler in the third term
Umpires: Margetts, Kennedy, Leppard
Official crowd: 33,631 at Etihad Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
