Dropped into the hot seat of a grand final rematch at the MCG in front of over 60,000 at the MCG, Andrew Gaff got down to business.
It'll only be a week before that hot seat will feel like an inferno in Perth when Gaff faces off against Fremantle.
The last time Gaff played at Optus Stadium, all eyes were on him - head in his hands, nowhere to hide, feeling sick - following a brain-snap that left teenage Docker Andrew Brayshaw in hospital.
The incident - with Gaff connecting with Brayshaw's jaw in an off-the-ball hit - saw the West Cost wingman cop an eight-week ban, which was exacerbated for Gaff as the Eagles went on to win the flag.
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Brayshaw has since recovered, Gaff has returned to league footy - and during a West Coast-Fremantle pre-season match, the pair shook hands in the centre of the ground.
For West Coast coach Adam Simpson, the drama is old news, and the message for fans of both clubs is clear: "just let 'em play".
"I think both clubs have handled it pretty well... getting both Andrews to shake hands before the game was [Fremantle's] idea," Simpson told reporters on Tuesday.
"The way both clubs have handled it, I think we're ready to move on. Whether our supporters are ready, that'll be interesting.
"I think both clubs have handled it pretty well... we know [Gaff] was in the wrong, he's paid his dues, and we get on with playing footy. I think that's the way he wants to handle it."
After the incident, Brayshaw said he was ready to move on and that he'll hold no "grudge" against Gaff, just days after meeting up with him following their run-in.
Prior to his comeback earlier this year, Brayshaw told media that the public should move on from the incident.
Brayshaw's father Mark asked for nothing more than remorse for Gaff, even after watching his son helped off the field with a bloodied jaw and furrowed brow.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon had an unenviable task to trying to help get young Brayshaw back and itching to play top-level footy again. Brayshaw has since done just that.
Ahead of the blockbuster Western Derby on Saturday day night, Lyon suggested if the two "fine young men" have moved on, then fans should too.
"There's no reward with looking back on it," Lyon added.
"They're two fine young men. One's become a great player, and the other is trying to become a great player.
"It's all dead and buried. The only thing that counts is the first bounce and the next moment."
Both WA clubs are perched in the top eight on 2-1 win-loss records, with West Coast bouncing back from a first-up thrashing in Brisbane to record wins over GWS and Collingwood.
Fremantle, on the other hand, notched a massive win over North Melbourne before tight contests with Gold Coast and St Kilda.
With Gaff back in the side - the 26-year-old racking up 35 disposals in a best on ground performance against the Pies - West Coast have quickly firmed to go back-to-back.
Simpson isn't jumping the gun, but isn't keen to see his men 'undersell' themselves either.
"We need to establish another three, four, five games before we really know where we're at," Simpson said.
"We had a really good win on the weekend. We played well, we were resilient and we played a very good side.
"We think the evidence is there but the consistency is not. We need to see where we're at in another three to four weeks.
"This is another week to see if we can stand up with how we play against a side on the same amount of wins.
"We're pretty balanced with our approach and we're not getting ahead of ourselves, but we're not underselling ourselves either."
