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. 

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). 

EAGLES V GIANTS Full details and stats

In a clash between 13th and 16th that delivered well above expectations, both teams produced spirited bursts of high-intensity football in a desperate contest that went down to the wire. 

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 clutch performance. 

Ruckman Bailey Williams was outstanding in his best game for the club, kicking a crucial late goal after a powerful mark, with pre-season draftee Milan Murdock putting the finishing touches on late with a goal on the siren.  

It was young superstar Harley Reid who stood tallest in the best game of his career, driving the engine room all day with a career-best 33 disposals, 10 clearances, 12 inside 50s and two critical goals. 

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.   

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Waterman finds his radar 
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.   

Maligned duo make statement 
There has been a lot of focus on how Waalitj Marawar can address its ruck and key defensive issues at the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, but Bailey Williams and Tylar Young are not ready to hand over their roles just yet. Williams (40 hitouts, seven clearances and two goals) was magnificent in his best game as an Eagle, while Young's authoritative spoiling in the backline was crucial in negating the GWS crumbers. The Eagles could yet boost their list with mid-season picks, but Williams and Young took big steps forward. The Giants final score of 10.11 (71) was the second lowest opposition score under McQualter, with Young and Williams playing key roles in that. 

Back half game deserts Giants as Murdock locks in 
GWS has been the best team this season for converting rebound 50s to forward entries and rebound 50s to scores, but their transition game went missing for long periods on Sunday. Under fiercer pressure, and with Eagles half-forward Milan Murdock locking down on Lachie Whitfield, the Giants were able to kick only 1.3 from their defensive 50. Murdock applied himself relentlessly and gave away a 100m penalty early in the fourth quarter for his efforts. But the pre-season addition knuckled down and finished the job on Whitfield before sealing his performance with a goal on the final siren.

WAALITJ MARAWAR                1.2   7.4   9.6    13.10 (88)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY   2.6   4.8   9.10  10.11 (71)

GOALS 
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, Young 
Greater Western Sydney: Oliver, Thomas, Laverde, Ash, Daniels, Stringer 

INJURIES 
Waalitj Marawar: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nil 

Crowd: 36,781 at Optus Stadium