What happened?

Who said tough, one-on-one contests were not part of modern footy?

Six minutes into the second quarter of Saturday night's preliminary final, West Coast was yet to kick a goal.

North Melbourne had been brave in the opening quarter and held a 20-point lead at the first change. The Kangaroos came to Perth ready to play and the home side had to find something.

Six things we learned: West Coast v North Melbourne

Enter Josh Kennedy. The Coleman medallist provided the spark his teammates so desperately needed when he out-marked North Melbourne big man Scott Thompson, grasping the Sherrin despite an epic collision after running back with the flight of the ball.

Just inside the forward 50m arc, and from close to the boundary line, Kennedy showed tremendous courage to take the grab with Thompson surging straight towards him.

With Thompson spreadeagled on the Domain Stadium turf, the crowd favourite saw his chance.

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Kennedy bounced to his feet, played on and slotted his angled shot on the run.

The short-priced fancies were on the board at last. It was game on.

He later told Channel Seven the decision-making process was a blur.

"Every time I do it, I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know what I'm thinking. I shouldn't be doing it but it came off in the end so it was all right," Kennedy said after the match. 

Who made it happen?

Mark Hutchings might have delivered the pass that Kennedy hauled in, but make no mistake, this glittering play was a one-man show.

The big forward's split-second decision to take the game on, rather than go back and have a set shot, was a turning point in the knockout final, despite coming well before half-time. 

What did it mean?

The Eagles' previously stuttering engine went into overdrive and the home side went on to kick 10 of the next 14 goals in the match to claim a 25-point victory.

Kennedy's toughness and brilliance in one act clearly helped his teammates rediscover the ultra-impressive form from their qualifying final victory over Hawthorn.

The home side worked their way back into the match, taking the lead in the third term and never looking back. 

Kennedy celebrates his match-turning goal in the second term. Picture: AFL Media

Any cameo performers?

The officiating umpire had the best seat in the house for the bone-crunching contest. Eagles fans would be glad the whistle-blower allowed Kennedy to play on in the heat of the moment, rather than holding him up and forcing him to come back over the mark. 

How did they call it?

"Oh, big collision. Look at the courage of Kennedy. He's going to play on, Josh Kennedy. He wastes no time, runs to 45, is this the West Coast's first? Josh Kennedy, the Coleman Medal winner kicks the Eagles first. It took a quarter and six minutes." – Channel Seven's Luke Darcy. 

And the fans went ...

… utterly, completely, deafeningly wild. Because they know that good players win the big moments. And with a place in the Grand Final on the line, the moments scarcely come bigger. 

Will they play it in 20 years time?

Probably not. But Eagles fans will be playing it over and over in their head until the Grand Final. And should West Coast salute on Saturday, they'll remember it for years to come.