Adam Selwood would be smiling down on his beloved Waalitj Marawar (West Coast), who honoured his memory with an emotional 28-point victory over Euro-Yroke (St Kilda).

Among the grief of Selwood’s shock passing a little over 24 hours earlier, the Eagles broke an 11-game losing streak and handed new coach Andrew McQualter his first victory at the helm.

Fittingly the 16.12 (108) to 12.8 (80) victory at Optus Stadium was a performance that their fallen 2006 premiership hero would’ve been proud of as the players exemplified the tough, uncompromising and selfless style of Selwood.

McQualter outpointed his former mentor in Saints coach Ross Lyon, tactically outdoing the mastermind to earn himself a valuable victory.

Co-captain Oscar Allen was named at full back but played as a forward in the first big move of the game and it proved pivotal with the spearhead booting two goals as part of a dynamic forward line.

Young star Harley Reid (15 disposals, four clearances and two goals) was given the responsibility of leading the midfield and he found the form of his first season, electrifying the home crowd with an exhilarating performance.

Liam Duggan (21 disposals) was sent to dangerous Saints small forward Jack Higgins (five goals) and exposed his lack of accountability to provide drive out of defence.

Ruckman Matt Flynn played arguably his best game in the wings against Rowan Marshall (27 disposals, 40 hit-outs, five clearances and a goal), while Tim Kelly played at half forward for most of the game but was injected into the midfield in the final term and added a spark with a valuable six final-quarter disposals.

And then when the game was on the line it was the three Indigenous Eagles who sealed the win in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Kelly won the clearance to find Tyler Brockman at half forward who spotted Liam Ryan (two goals) in the pocket, with the premiership star converting the set shot to ensure the four points.

Ultimately, it was the team’s commitment to the cause for a full four quarters which ensured they’d belt out the team song for the first time in 281 days.

The game was on the Eagles’ terms early, with the home side peppering the Saints’ defence with the first eight entries inside 50.

Their defence held up well with the Eagles kicking the first two goals before the visitors went coast-to-coast to respond through Mason Wood (two goals).

Fittingly Jamie Cripps was the man who would calm his side, kicking an emotional goal as the only former teammate of the late Selwood on the ground.

The Eagles’ propensity to kick long was too predictable for the well-structured Saints, who managed to settle into the game well as the emotion came out of the match.

In a beautiful piece of symmetry, the Eagles’ quarter-time score of 4.2 (26) was the same they had on the board in the 2006 grand final which Selwood was a pivotal part of.

The only dampened for the Eagles early on was a calf injury to forward Matt Owies, who had treatment in the first quarter but lasted only five minutes into the second term.

Waalitj Marawar continued to bring the intensity in the second term and it was resulting in forward half turnovers.

Reid lifted the crowd with the first goal of the quarter before they were on their feet for Allen, who hit the scoreboard for the first time since round five.

When Reid kicked his second from long range there was a sense that the hope within the stadium had turned into belief.

A costly turnover by defender Ryan Maric on the edge of half-time proved costly with Higgins kicking a valuable goal to keep Euro-Yroke in the game.

Any signs the Eagles were going to relent in the second half were shut down emphatically in the third term.

They simply didn’t let the Saints breath and while they didn’t capitalise on the scoreboard as they would’ve liked for their dominance, the Eagles didn’t look like losing.

Bailey Williams kicked a drop goal from the square, before Allen benefited from a horror Saints turnover to kick multiple goals for the first time since round one.

Darcy Wilson kept the Saints’ faint hopes alive with his second goal as the visitors continued to look dangerous when they were able to get pace on the ball from defence.

When Higgins joined the party again there might have been some nerves amongst the winless Eagles.

If there needed to be a sign that it was going to be the Eagles’ day it came when 63-gamer Brady Hough finally broke through for the first goal of his AFL career.

Reid sat on Allen’s head to produce an early highlight bit it was the Saints who made the first move when Higgins kicked his third goal.

Again, the Saints had those at Optus Stadium nervous when Cooper Sharman reduced the margin to just 15 points.

Jack Graham’s first goal as an Eagle came at an ideal time, settling the side just when it looked like the game might be slipping.

SCOREBOARD

WAALITJ MARAWAR 4.2, 7.5, 10.10, 16.12 (108)

EURO-YROKE 2.2, 4.4, 6.6, 12.8 (80)

Goals – WAALITJ MARAWAR: O Allen 2 H Reid 2 L Ryan 2 J Waterman 2 B Williams 2 J Cripps E Hewett M Flynn J Graham B Hough J Hunt. EURO-YROKE: J Higgins 5 D Wilson 2 M Wood 2 M Hall R Marshall C Sharman.

Best – WAALITJ MARAWAR: B Hough H Reid L Duggan J Graham L Baker H Edwards. EURO-YROKE: R Marshall N Wanganeen-Milera J Sinclair J Higgins J Macrae C Wilkie.

Injuries – WAALITJ MARAWAR: M Owies (calf).

Umpires: D Johanson J Dalgleish M Young C Jones. Crowd: 42,860 at Optus Stadium.