West Coast forward Josh Kennedy has boosted his chances of winning a third-straight Coleman medal after booting six goals in a 68-point AFL win over Brisbane at Domain Stadium.
In a match that failed to reach any great heights, the Eagles booted five goals to nil in the second term to set up the 17.11 (113) to 6.9 (45) victory.
The points lifted West Coast into eighth on the ladder, and also brought a positive end to a tumultuous week.
The Eagles copped widespread criticism after last Sunday’s costly fadeout against Collingwood.
With questions being raised about West Coast’s ageing list, Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis announced his retirement on Friday.
Sam Mitchell is expected to follow suit in the coming weeks, with Drew Petrie and Sam Butler also set to retire at the end of the season.
Sunday’s match against the Lions featured plenty of handling errors, but West Coast broke the game wide open with their blitz in the second term to open up a 35-point lead at half-time.
Besieged forward Mark LeCras booted two goals for the term, while Kennedy, Dom Sheed, and Mitchell also chipped in with majors.
Kennedy’s return of 6.4 and nine marks gave the crowd of 32,652 something to cheer about in a match that featured few highlights.
The 29-year-old missed five games with a calf injury, but now has 49 goals to his name after booting 15 goals in his past three matches since returning.
Essendon’s Joe Daniher leads the Coleman race with 53 goals, while Lance Franklin and Ben Brown have 51 apiece.
Brisbane defender Daniel Rich (32 disposals) and midfielder Dayne Beams (41 disposals, nine clearances) tried their best to lift their side, but the youthful Lions were never in the hunt.
Brisbane debutant Sam Skinner produced a special moment in the first quarter when he snapped truly for his first AFL goal.
Skinner had to overcome two knee reconstructions just to get his shot at AFL level and his teammates mobbed him once he kicked the goal.
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