Just days after the club was rocked by news club president Jim Stynes was battling cancer, Melbourne has responded by notching just its second win of the season against a West Coast side which has now dropped 18 consecutive matches on the road.

The Dees were fired up early, settled brilliantly and after leading at every change – by one-point at quarter-time, 18 at half-time and 24 at the final change – completed a 17.10 (112) to 13.14 (92) win after the Eagles clawed to within 14 points 13 minutes into the final term.

Russell Robertson led the Demons with four goals – the last of these 20 minutes into the final term to give his side a 20-point lead - with Ricky Petterd, Brad Green, Matthew Bate and exciting Aboriginal player Liam Jurrah adding two apiece.

Brock McLean (27), Jack Grimes (29), Brent Moloney (28) and Cameron Bruce (28) were the major ball-winners for the Dees, which used great tackling pressure and daring run to break the Eagles apart. West Coast over-sued the handball all day, according to 3AW's Robert Walls.

Nathan Jones was hard as nails all day and got rid of the Sherrin 21 times.

Aaron Davey (15 possessions, one goal) was reported for striking Chris Masten in the first quarter and Petterd's number was taken for abusing the umpire in the same term.

Josh Kennedy was good for the Eagles with four goals while All Australian fancy Mark Le Cras booted three goals.

Matt Priddis was good for the Eagles with 27 touches with hard-working big man Quentin Lynch gathering 26 possessions and winning 13 hit-outs. Shannon Hurn was brilliant across half-back for West Coast, using the ball well with his 28 disposals.

Boom recruit Nic Naitanui had eight handballs, no kicks and five hit-outs in a bit of a 'come down to earth' type game after his last-term heroics got the Eagles over Hawthorn last week.

Melbourne was always going to be passionate today, but – as it often is – the Demons' aggression was ill-directed early in the contest.

The Eagles and Dees traded two goals apiece inside the first eight minutes, the best of these coming from Green who slotted a 40-metre shot on the run after taking three bounces from the wing.

Matt Rosa missed an easy set-shot soon after and was made to pay by Jurrah, who marked a Bate pass and gave the Dees a three-point lead at the 14-minute mark. Robertson then extended the gap with his first major before Lynch blew a good chance.

But the Dees made a meal of the kick-in with Troy Selwood taking advantage to goal for West Coast, and before the ball even returned to the centre Davey was reported for striking Masten. However, the Eagles missed the resulting set-shot from 50.

By quarter's end, Melbourne had forged a 6.1 to 4.6 lead on the back of great tackling and quality finishing, but as Andrew Welsh said on 3AW, the Dees needed to get their emotions in check ahead of the second term with another Melbourne player – Petterd – on report for abusive language.

It looked dangerous for Melbourne after the Eagles kicked the first two goals in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead, but the Dees responded in great fashion – putting aside the unsociable footy and focusing on the big sticks.

Melbourne slammed through the next five goals in the contest, with Bate, Jurrah and Petterd and Green all notching their second majors during this spurt.

Only a late goal to Masten stemmed the scoreboard bleeding for the Eagles, but Scott Selwood had plenty of bleeding to do after an inadvertent elbow from Jones split his head open as players scuffled en route to the half-time rooms with the Dees up 11.2 (68) to 7.8 (50).

The Dees had out-tackled the Eagles 61 to 36 in the opening half and Melbourne players played on after taking marks 21-8 – showing a willingness to take the game on whenever possible.

With Melbourne kicking the first two goals in the third term – the second of these after a trademark 'Robbo hanger' – the margin blew out to 28 points five minutes in.

Petterd should have made it a six-goal lead soon after, and the wound left with his miss had salt rubbed into it when Le Cras goal almost immediately for the Eagles. Another major to West Coast – Kennedy's second – had the deficit back to 16 points.

Jones and then Davey goaled for Melbourne, which was struggling to land the knockout punch which could have been thrown had Cale Morton not missed an easy set-shot.

Kennedy added his third as the Eagles refused to give up, and despite Jamar getting on the end of a Jones handball to slot a left-foot snap-shot Cyril Rioli would be proud of shortly before the final change, a late Spangher goal had the margin down to four goals at three-quarter-time.

Melbourne (2-12, 16th) hosts Port Adelaide at the MCG next Sunday with West Coast (4-10, 12th) back in Perth to face rampant St Kilda at Etihad Stadum.

Honesty is the best policy

If you wanted the view from footy's inner sanctum without the 'one week at a time' PR spin, ypou'd be hard pressed to find three more direct people than Neale Daniher, Nick Maxwell and Chris Connolly. 3AW Football spoke to them all on Saturday.

• Maxwell after six in a row
• Opinionated Chris Connolly

See who the 3AW experts tipped

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Support for brave Jim Stynes

In a special opening to Sports Today, Gerard Healy pays tribute to his mate Jim Stynes - listening in to 3AW. Leave your message of support for Jim and we will make sure he gets them.

• Demetriou gets personal on 3AW
• VIDEO: Watch the press conference

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