West Coast has again proved its ability to win when put under the severest pressure, outlasting Melbourne for a 13.19 (97) to 11.9 (75) triumph at Subiaco Oval.

The win that keeps the Eagles on course for a home final may have come at a cost, however, with superstar captain Chris Judd limping out of the action late in the fourth quarter with a painful looking injury to his left leg.

For the fourth week running, the Eagles found themselves in a battle entering the final term, leading by a point and struggling for any real fluency.

But, as it has throughout the season, last year's losing grand finalist was able to dig in and find the killer touch, taking its record to 8-1 to continue Victorian teams' four year hoodoo against the Eagles in Perth.

The Demons looked capable of producing an upset all day, with Russell Robertson their figurehead, kicking four to continue his career-long liking of the Eagles' defence.

With West Coast holding the smallest of leads heading into the last term, Daniel Kerr and Clint Bartram traded goals to keep the 41,032 fans glued to their seats.

But with Kerr and Ben Cousins again proving the men to lift their side when it most needed it, Daniel Chick and Ashley Hansen majored within minutes of each other to finally break the Demons' resistance.

Melbourne's start was storming, again showing the tackling pressure which typified its five game winning streak and Robertson proving dangerous early up forward.

With 34 career goals against West Coast before the match, he added two more in the first five minutes, with the Eagles regularly coughing up possession under severe Melbourne duress.

Despite Melbourne pressure the Eagles were able to stay in touch, mainly through the efforts of Cousins and Kerr and after a ten goal arm wrestle before the main break, the match became a fluctuating shootout in the third term.

Kerr's crumb after Cox's enormous leap was touched on the goal-line to give West Coast a one-point margin leading into the last term, but the Brownlow Medal runner-up made amends within 40 seconds of the fourth to put the Eagles on the front foot.

Bartram belied his tender years with a finish to prolong the agony, but the Eagles' expertise at running out games pinned Melbourne further and further back before Chick read a pack the best to soccer and Hansen goaled after a scrubby Brent Staker kick found him in space.

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