Last Saturday's Greater Western Sydney-West Coast clash was one of the best games of this season, a high-standard contest that swung this way and that.
But out of 120-odd minutes of pulsating football, there were only two moments replayed endlessly this week. One was the last act of play, lasting no longer than eight seconds. And the other was after the siren.
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Nic Naitanui's left-foot snap from his own ruck tap to win the game for the Eagles was pure brilliance. Cut to the West Coast coaching box, and pure pandemonium, Adam Simpson on his feet with his assistants, yelling and fist-pumping.
It was by some distance the most animated we've seen Simpson in 67 games as an AFL coach. And nearly a week on, it still prompts a bit of a chuckle from him.
![Different type of journey: West Coast coach Adam Simpson admits the Eagles haven't played to the same levels they ...](/web/20160819084656im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/v/k/e/j/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqvuji.png/1471513744711.jpg)
"In your whole career, there's probably a handful of games that really go down as classics. It's pretty special when you know it's going to do down as one, and you win," Simpson tells Fairfax Media.
"To witness a game you're so invested in and then there's 10 seconds to go and you really have no control over it, you're just like a supporter sitting in their lounge room back in WA, so to see it end like that, you can't help yourself."
Not that Simpson usually makes a point of reining in his emotions. "I don't get too excited when we're going well, and I don't get too down when we're not. It's just who I am."
But as West Coast prepare for what could be a season-defining clash at home with Hawthorn on Friday night, those scenes were nonetheless an indicator of just how important that last-second victory over the Giants may prove to be. Not only for the Eagles' ladder position, but for their belief.
![Nic Naitanui and the Eagles celebrate the ruckman's winning goal against GWS.](/web/20160819084656im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/t/g/e/s/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqvuji.png/1471513744711.jpg)
It's been a funny old season for last year's runner-up. West Coast have rarely, if ever, hit the heights they achieved in 2015. Yet victory in their last two games against the Hawks and Adelaide could again give them a prized top-four berth, and leave them only two points adrift of last year's 16½ wins.
"I'm still pretty happy with this year," Simpson says. "It's been a different type of journey, and we haven't played to the same levels, but I don't think teams have let us, either. There are patches throughout the year when you can just tick over some wins and hopefully you hit your straps when the time is right. But it's not like that was the plan.
![Could the Eagles end up back on the MCG on grand final day?](/web/20160819084656im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/q/g/i/f/5/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gqvuji.png/1471513744711.jpg)
"I get that it hasn't been convincing, no problems with that, but there are other clubs probably in the same boat."
Most of whom probably wouldn't mind West Coast's recent record. The Eagles have won 10 of their past 13 games, and two of the losses have been by just eight points – to the Western Bulldogs on the road, and to popular flag fancy Adelaide after having led the Crows to three-quarter time.
Even the popular "flat track bullies" charge levelled at Simpson's team has less substance to it now. It had plenty when West Coast were at one stage 1-4 on the road. But that record now reads 4-5 after the GWS win.
But Simpson remains under no illusions as to the strength of the recovery. Even a win over Hawthorn would only be another in a series of boxes to be ticked. And that process could be going on long after this season ends.
"We haven't done enough to establish our presence to the level where you're a consistent Sydney or Hawthorn-type side," he says. "If you strip it all back, we want to be one of those sides, but how many teams pop up for one good season then fall away? I'm really aware of that. We're just not there yet. For us to be at that level, we've probably got to finish this year off in a really strong manner, then maybe the belief starts to be justified."
A grand final coach in only his second season, Simpson has had two major challenges in his third. One has been managing the expectations his team would automatically go one step better because of that grand final appearance. The other has been getting up to 14 players who had career-best seasons in 2015 to at least replicate that form. Both have been difficult.
While the efforts of Matt Priddis, Luke Shuey, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Gaff have remained solid, they've had fewer teammates jumping on board.
Dom Sheed, an important part of the midfield last year, has played just three games this campaign after a pectoral injury. None of Mark LeCras, Chris Masten, Elliott Yeo, Brad Sheppard or Sharrod Wellingham have reached the same heights as last season. And senior trade-ins Lewis Jetta and Jack Redden have barely been a factor.
"We've had a bit of trouble getting a good spread of contributors," Simpson concedes. "Some just haven't quite hit the same marks we would have liked, and we've left a lot up to Priddis, Shuey, Gaff and those types. It's been a combination of a lot of things that can be perceived as excuses, and I just don't want to do that. But if you're talking about how we play, we just haven't had the same spread of contributors."
Simpson is confident there's still time to find them. And West Coast will certainly need them on Friday night.
But a victory would make it eight wins from nine games, and three against top-eight rivals, and a top-four spot still viable. And for a team even its coach admits hasn't hit the heights of last year, still realistic prospects of emulating at least that much.
One step beyond that, and even Simpson probably wouldn't be short of another fist pump or two.