Ruckman stays cool under pressure to slot goal against luckless North Melbourne side.
West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui denied the North Melbourne Kangaroos an important two-point victory after kicking a clutch goal after the final siren at Patersons Stadium.
It was a sensational comeback win by the Eagles who looked destined to lose their fourth game at home this season and all but rule themselves out of title contention early in the year.
The Kangaroos led at every change and at one stage by 15 points in the final term, before West Coast fought back and Naitanui sent the home crowd into a frenzy with his strike to give his side the 12.18 (90) to 13.10 (88) win.
In what is sure to be one of the talking points for the next week, Eagle Adam Selwood was paid a controversial free kick for a high tackle in the lead-up to Naitanui’s final goal.
The loss stung a bit more than usual for the Kangaroos who were looking to make up for their thumping exit from last year finals at the hands of the Eagles.
Victory was extra sweet for West Coast veteran Darren Glass who celebrated his 250th game in the AFL on the night.
North Melbourne might be without key defender Scott Thompson for their game next weekend against Adelaide after being reported for striking Eagles midfielder Matt Rosa in the second quarter.
The game also featured the much-anticipated ruck battle between Naitanui and the Kangaroos Sudanese-born sensation Majak Daw with the match-winner taking the overall honors.
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