THIS was the moment an AFL giant flexed its muscle and reminded the rest of Australia it was still around.

West Coast had been practically forgotten by those over east in the lead up to these preliminary finals.

Their second placing on the AFL ladder, qualifying final victory over Collingwood and 3-1 record against the other preliminary finalists was somehow lost amid the romance around Melbourne, Richmond’s bid for back-to- back flags and Collingwood’s rise back up the ladder.

The reminder was brutal and the kill was quick. Collingwood were mighty impressive in finishing Richmond’s bid on Friday night but Victoria will have a bloody hard time ignoring the Eagles now.

West Coast did not bother grinding Melbourne down. They hunted them down and blew them away in less than a half of football.

This was also the moment that a Melbourne fairytale became a nightmare.

If we are honest about the first half that decided the preliminary final at Optus Stadium yesterday, the story was not just about one team.

The Eagles, at their powerful best, were awe inspiring. They would have put the game to bed by quarter-time but for scattergun finishing. That was remedied in a 6.1 second quarter.

By the time Josh Kennedy kicked his fourth goal and his team’s ninth at the 20-minute mark of the second quarter, the lead was 59-points. The stats said West Coast led contested possession 74-58, inside 50s were 29-13.

Adam Simpson’s pre-match backing of his midfield to match the Melbourne engine room was spot on. Max Gawn, the dominant player on the field when the Demons beat West Coast in round 22, was nullified and ineffective.

Their midfield, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw, Nathan Jones and Jack Viney weren’t just beaten but belted by Jack Redden, Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed and Co.

And with supply, the critical factor in this game correctly identified pre-match by Simpson, going West Coast’s way, the powerful forward line dominated.

By the time Willie Rioli strolled in for his first goal with under five minutes left, he, Kennedy, Mark Lecras, Liam Ryan, Jamie Cripps and Jack Darling had kicked 15 of their team’s 17.

The home team had taken the Demons strength, turned them back on them and then belted them with their own one wood. In poker terms, they had seen them and raised them plenty.

West Coast took extras to contests early and took Melbourne’s A game away from them. Melbourne, showing little bravado and even less composure went to half-time goalless, helpless and hopeless.

By three-quarter time, the Eagles were in cruise control, the crowd were in party mode. Some of the players joined in.

Ryan successfully attempted a cross between a basketball dribble and a football bounce — slicing past two flat footed Demons and delivering to Daniel Venables who kicked his team’s 13th.

Darling threw the ball on his left foot from outside 50 and the ball took a sharper break than Shane Warne’s 1989 “ball of the century” through the goals.

None of this guarantees the Eagles a fourth flag at the MCG on Saturday. But here’s a warning for Victorians: Ignore them at your peril.