Geelong have pulled off their first win of the AFLW season, with a Darcy Moloney goal in the dying stages breaking West Coast hearts by three points.
Heavy favourites heading into a contest for the first time all season, the Cats were in danger of being upset at their Kardinia Park home base.
The winless Eagles had their ball just metres away from the Geelong goal when the fulltime siren sounded as the Cats hung on to win 4.3 (27) to 3.6 (24) on Friday night.
It snapped a 10-game losing streak at home for Geelong, dating back to February 2019.
The young Eagles battled hard, hitting the front with just two minutes remaining through a classy Aimee Schmidt snap.
But Geelong grabbed the immediate centre clearance as Moloney swooped to run in and kick the match-winning goal from just 10 metres out.
Amy McDonald (24 touches), Rebecca Webster (20 possessions and a goal), Nina Morrison and Georgie Prespakis were all influential as the Cats racked up just their second win in as many seasons.
"It's such a good group to be a part of, we have so many of us rotating through the midfield and it's just so enjoyable," Prespakis told Fox Footy.
"The win feels so amazing, there's really no words for it.
"It would have been nicer if we weren't so under the pump but we got there in the end."
Two first-half goals from Phoebe McWilliams were crucial, particularly her successful set shot after the halftime siren.
It was a brave effort from the developing West Coast side, having been on the road for a month and dealt with a stack of COVID-19 infections last week, forcing their clash with St Kilda to be called off.
Captain Emma Swanson was the best player on the ground with 27 possessions and eight clearances, justifying her decision to sacrifice five weeks of annual leave from work to join West Coast in their Victorian hub.
The Eagles suffered more pain when they lost Irishwoman Aisling McCarthy to what appeared to be a serious arm injury in the first quarter.
The result lifts Geelong up to 10th on the ladder, while the Eagles remain equal bottom with a 0-4 record.
AAP
