West Coast Eagles beat Collingwood by 27 points in front of biggest AFL crowd since COVID-19 pandemic

Under fire Collingwood were left to count the cost on multiple fronts after a second-quarter masterclass from Jack Darling helped guide West Coast to a 27-point AFL victory at Perth Stadium.

Darling was unstoppable during the second quarter, booting three goals from strong marks and another major after catching speedy defender Isaac Quaynor holding the ball.

It helped propel West Coast to a 12-point lead by half-time, and they put Collingwood to the sword in the third quarter to run away with the 16.7 (103) to 11.10 (76) win in front of 54,159 fans — the biggest at an AFL game since the 2019 grand final, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Darling finished with 5.1 from 15 disposals, while Oscar Allen was also critical with five goals…