Essendon survived a slow start and a late scare against a much-improved West Coast, with returning forward Peter Wright booting six goals in his first game of the season to steer the Bombers to a two-point win at Optus Stadium on Good Friday.

The Bombers were ambushed early and fell 28 points down in the second quarter, but Wright's long-range goalkicking and a strong midfield put the Bombers back in control to win 11.11 (77) to 11.9 (75).

The Dons' third straight win could come at a potentially significant cost, however, after ruckman Sam Draper limped from the ground early in the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury that occurred innocuously and well off the ball when he pushed off his leg to run. 

Winger Xavier Duursma was also in pain late in the game after copping a knee to the ribs in a marking contest.

While they started slowly and played poorly for some extended periods, the Bombers will be thrilled with their ability to grind out an important win after back-to-back road trips. 

Playing his first game since a pre-season ankle ligament injury, Wright was outstanding with his ability to launch at the ball and then convert from beyond 50m, with the 28-year-old the standout player in an otherwise even team performance.

Midfielder Nic Martin (26 disposals and a goal) performed as he always does against West Coast, while Zach Merrett (26 and seven clearances) had an impact under heavy attention.

Draper got on top in the ruck the longer the game went on and kicked a crucial snap set shot in the third quarter as the bombers were making their charge. His potential absence will be keenly felt after last week's ACL injury to fellow ruck Nick Bryan.   

While the Eagles were much-improved after their 71-point loss to Carlton, the loss extended their worst start to a season and represented a fifth consecutive loss to the Bombers, with their last win at home coming against Gold Coast in round 21 last year.  

Key forward Jake Waterman (four goals) and returning vice captain Jeremy McGovern (23 disposals and 10 rebound 50s) led the way, with young midfielder Elijah Hewett making a big impact on return with 22 disposals and two goals.

Brad Scott warned his team during the week that they could not afford to take the Eagles lightly, declaring there was no such thing as an easy game in Perth and they would be exposed if they were off their game.

Two minutes into the game and it was clear the coach knew what he was talking about, with the Bombers clearly off their game as a flat looking group struggled to get their hands on the ball, spraying kicks when they did.

The Eagles were making it hard for them, ramping up their pressure and racing to an early lead as Waterman marked everything that came his way and booted four first-quarter goals.

At the other end of the ground, McGovern had 11 disposals and was an intercepting force in his first game back from a groin injury as the Eagles won their second quarter for the season and took a 22-point lead into the first break.

The Bombers needed someone to stand up and Wright delivered, kicking back-to-back goals early in the second term to cut the margin to 17 points before Dylan Shiel made it three in a row for the visitors.

The Eagles continued to find big efforts though, with Harry Edwards putting his body on the line to save a goal, Brady Hough winning a big contested ball on the wing, and Jack Hutchinson laying several crunching tackles.

Essendon's midfield advantage became more obvious as the game wore on, but back-to-back goals from Jayden Hunt and returning midfielder Elijah Hewett restored a 25-point lead halfway through the third quarter.

Midfielder/forward Archie Perkins made a vital cameo for the visitors, however, kicking two goals in two minutes to launch a four-goal run that tied scores at the final change.

WA-product Nic Martin gave the Bombers their first lead of the night when he converted a set shot early in the fourth quarter, but ruckman Draper was limping from the ground as his kick sailed through in a worrying sign for the visitors.

WEST COAST        5.0   7.3   9.7   11.9 (75)
ESSENDON           1.2   4.3   9.7   11.11 (77) 

GOALS 
West Coast: Waterman 4, J.Williams 3, Hewett 2, Cripps, Hunt 
Essendon: Wright 6, Perkins 2, Shiel, Draper, Martin 

BEST
West Coast: Waterman, McGovern, Hewett, J.Williams, Baker, Graham  
Essendon: Wright, Martin, Draper, Merrett, McGrath, Setterfield 

INJURIES
West Coast: Nil 
Essendon: Draper (lower leg), Duursma (ribs) 

SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Tom Gross (replaced Tyrell Dewar in the fourth quarter) 
Essendon: Saad El-Hawli (replaced Jade Gresham in the third quarter)  

Crowd: 46,080 at Optus Stadium