Ruckman Scott Lycett rates West Coast's win over Collingwood as their best this AFL season and knows it has also brought a major challenge.
Scans on Monday confirmed that the Eagles' No.1 ruckman Nic Naitanui will need another knee reconstruction, ending his season.
He suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's MCG win and Lycett stepped up once Naitanui was out of the game, breaking even with star Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy.
One of the keys for the rest of West Coast's season is how well they cover Naitanui's absence.
"I'm not thinking too far ahead; wait until he gets the scans, all that kind of stuff," Lycett said of Naitanui.
"But guys have gone down this year; JK (Josh Kennedy), (Jack) Darling and (Mark) LeCras.
"Blokes have come in and played their role."
Kennedy, Darling and LeCras all successfully returned from injury in the big win over the Magpies.
Nathan Vardy had 66 hitouts in the WAFL on Saturday and will most likely return to the senior team to share the ruck work.
Lycett will appreciate the help.
"I was buggered towards the end (on Sunday). I've been playing probably 40 or 50 per cent in the ruck and then forward, the same as Nic Nat," he said.
"I had to grind it out for the boys and it was pleasing I could keep playing my role."
There were extremes of emotion in the Eagles rooms post match.
While they were devastated for Naitanui - coach Adam Simpson in particular was emotional - West Coast were rapt with the win.
It was their first victory over Collingwood at the MCG since 1995.
Starting with West Coast's 2015 grand final disaster against Hawthorn, the only two wins out of their past eight MCG visits have been against lowly Carlton.
"I'm trying to say it politely but it's just awesome to stick it up everyone who says we can't come here and win," Lycett said.
"We knew we could play our brand of footy and the boys will definitely take a lot of confidence out of this game."
West Coast took second spot from the Magpies and are on the same points as leaders Richmond, with only percentage separating them.
One of the keys to Sunday's win was the shutdown role that Mark Hutchings did on Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom.
"He's gone under the radar most of the season," Lycett said of Hutchings.
"He's shut down some gun midfielders - you look back last week, with (GWS onballer) Josh Kelly.
"Hopefully he gets some credits that he deserves."
