WAALITJ Marawar stunned Greater Western Sydney in a Sunday night thriller at Optus Stadium, coming from behind in the fourth quarter to win by 17 points and snap a six-game losing run.Â
The Eagles produced the best pressure football of their season to win their third game, soaking up repeated challenges from the Giants and then rattling home with the last four goals of the game to win 13.10 (88) to 10.11 (71).Â
EAGLES V GIANTS Full details and stats
In a clash between 13th and 16th that delivered well above expectations, both teams producing spirited bursts of high-intensity football in a desperate contest that went down to the wire.Â
It was the Eagles who stood up in the critical moments, however, with spearhead Jake Waterman kicking back-to-back set shot goals to turn the game in his team's favour in a standout performance.Â
Ruckman Bailey Williams was outstanding in his best game for the club, kicking a clutch late goal after a powerful mark, with pre-season draftee Milan Murdock putting the finishing touches on late with a goal on the siren. Â
Young superstar Harley Reid was outstanding for the Eagles and drove the engine room all day with 33 disposals, 10 clearances, 12 inside 50s and two critical goals, producing one of the best games of his young career.Â
It was the relentless pressure that the Eagles applied as a team, however, that was critical to their fourth win under coach Andrew McQualter, with chasedown tackles, smothers and powerful spoils typifying the performance.  Â
Their pressure on-field will now turn the heat up on the Giants, who are left in a perilous position at 4-6, with clashes to come against back-to-back premier Brisbane and a red-hot Narrm before their bye in round 13.Â
The visitors will rueful wasteful kicking early when they had all the momentum, with midfielder Clayton Oliver (38 disposals and 12 clearances), wingman Harvey Thomas (25 and a goal), and defender Jayden Laverde fighting hard throughout.Â
Coach Adam Kingsley was wary in the build-up of the Eagles' stoppage game, but his midfielders hit the ground running and allowed the visitors to dominate play in the opening quarter.Â
Led by Oliver, who had five clearances and 12 disposals for the term, the Giants controlled the groundball game and kicked early goals through Brent Daniels and Toby Bedford. But they were wasteful thereafter and kept the Eagles in the contest with a 2.6 quarter, leading by 10 points at quarter time.
While everything had looked hard for the Eagles in the first term, they bounced into the second with more energy and an intent to hunt, kicking an early goal through Reid after a brilliant chasedown tackle from ruck Williams on Finn Callaghan, who was well held throughout by Brady Hough. Â
They were at their best when their pressure was high, with a series of determined efforts leading to goals for Jobe Shanahan, Waterman and a second for the impressive Jack Hutchinson.Â
Reid was dominant in the midfield and had 14 disposals for the quarter, adding a second goal after a powerful fend off on Joe Fonti, with Ryan Angwin catching the Eagles' star high after a missed snap on goal, giving him a second chance to bury the set shot.Â
The creative Malakai Champion got one of his own when he scooped up possession and quickly snapped to open a 20-point lead, with Jake Stringer kicking a desperately needed goal on the eve of half time to cut the margin to 14.Â
The Giants needed to respond in the third and did, ramping up its own pressure to spark a five-goals-to-one run, with Max Gruzewski kicking a pair from set shots and Thomas booting another on the run as the Giants threatened to burst away.Â
A big contested mark inside 50 for Williams gave the Eagles a goal on the eve of three-quarter time, cutting the margin to just four points at the last change.Â
Waterman finds his radarÂ
Waalitj Marawar spearhead Jake Waterman has been working hard to get his set shot kicking back on track, and an early miss might have unsettled him after kicking 18.26 leading into Sunday's clash. But the All-Australian regrouped and delivered down the stretch, kicking back-to-back goals from set shots to turn an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead and swing the game in his team's favour. The Eagles are a much more dangerous proposition when Waterman is kicking straight, and they'll hope Sunday was a turning point for the workhorse forward.  Â
WAALITJ MARAWARÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.2Â Â 7.4Â Â 9.6Â Â 13.10 (88)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEYÂ Â 2.6Â Â 4.8Â Â 9.10Â 10.11 (71)
GOALSÂ
Waalitj Marawar: Waterman 3, Williams 2, Reid 2, Hutchinson 2, Murdock 2, Johnstone, Shanahan
Greater Western Sydney: Daniels 2, Gruzewski 2, Stringer 2, Bedford, Fonti, H.Oliver, Thomas
BEST
Waalitj Marawar: Reid, Williams, Waterman, Ginbey, Kelly, Hutchinson, YoungÂ
Greater Western Sydney: Oliver, Thomas, Laverde, Ash, Daniels, StringerÂ
INJURIESÂ
Waalitj Marawar: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: NilÂ
Crowd: 36,781 at Optus StadiumÂ