WEST COAST 6.2 7.5 10.7 14.8 (92)

BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 4.4 9.6 11.10 (76)

GOALS: West Coast: Waters 2, Seaby 2, Wirrpanda 2, LeCras 2, Fletcher 2, Hunter 1, Braun 1, Cox 1, Staker 1. Brisbane Lions: Brown 6, Bradshaw 3, Drummond 1, Charman 1.

BEST: West Coast: Cox, Kerr, Wirrpanda ,Waters, Nicoski, Priddis. Brisbane Lions: Black, Brown, Lappin, Power, Johnstone, Merrett.

INJURIES: West Coast: Hunter (knee). Brisbane Lions: Adcock (shin). Umpire: Hendrie (hamstring).

UMPIRES: Head, Ellis, Hendrie.

CROWD:39,591 at Subiaco.

IT STARTED out as a slaughter, and finished up as a West Coast win. Somewhere in between, things got uncomfortably close for the home team.

It started as an exhibition of midfield brilliance from Daniel Kerr, and finished as a testament to the Eagles' resilience, but in between we saw one of the great forward-line solo efforts from one of the great forwards — Jonathan Brown.

West Coast won an absorbing contest 14.8 (92) to 11.10 (76) in sapping conditions at Subiaco, but not before its rebuilt midfield was tested to the limit.

We have already learned that, without Chris Judd and Ben Cousins, the Eagles midfield isn't quite what it used to be, even with Kerr's brilliance.

And we have also already learned, after six magnificent goals last night, that Brown is what he has been for half a decade, the best power forward in the AFL.

Last year, coaching legend Leigh Matthews brought his team to Subiaco Oval for round 14 and stole four premiership points from the Eagles in a midfield shootout.

West Coast trio Kerr, Judd and Matt Priddis had 100 possessions between them but the Eagles lost that game by 27 points. Driven by defensive rebound and inspired by virtuoso performances from champions Brown and Simon Black, the Lions opted not to tag the Eagles but to outrun them — and it worked.

It was one of the most audacious wins of the season. Trouble is, at Subiaco Oval last night, Lethal Leigh seemed to figure he just might try to do it again.

By quarter-time, the plan had blown up in his face. Kerr had had 11 touches, Priddis had 10 and the Eagles had a five-goal lead and were just one quick burst from putting this game to bed.

The midfield shootout idea was shot to pieces.

And yet, a quarter-and-a-half later, the Lions had turned the game on its head, and led.

Brown played a superb hand in attack for the Lions, and the fact that he spent much of his time on Darren Glass, one of the game's premier defenders, made the performance even more amazing.

He kicked Brisbane's first four goals and five of its first seven. His first mark and goal came despite being thumped from behind after he was caught under a pass.

For the second, Brown somehow managed to ignore Glass' presence as the dogged Eagle hung all over him in another marking duel.

The third came from a diving mark grasped cleanly centimetres above the turf and the fourth was a regulation lead and mark.

Each grab was followed by a kick so straight that the goal umpire's only required movement was a rock back to watch the ball sail over his head.

Still, the Lions crept, rather than surged, back into the game. Kerr was quietened by a disciplined Luke Power, while Lions midfielders Black and ex-Demon Travis Johnstone started to exert their influence on the game.

Brown started to get support from Daniel Bradshaw, who kicked three third-quarter goals, and the Eagles' midfield — their great strength during the reign of Judd, Cousins Kerr and company — began to dissolve in a puddle of sweat-soaked turnovers as battlers looked instinctively for champions who were no longer there.

Eagles coach John Worsfold pulled his trademark move in the third term, shifting Adam Hunter forward, and it worked.

Hunter kicked a goal, so did Dean Cox and the Eagles had the lead back.

Brisbane would never head them again.

The Eagles kicked four goals to two to kick-start their 2008 campaign.