West Coast 200-gamer Daniel Kerr happily deflected the glory onto Dean Cox after the big man spearheaded the Eagles’ heart-stopping win over North Melbourne in Saturday’s AFL clash at Bellerive.

Cox starred as West Coast overcame a 35-point deficit to down a gallant Kangaroos outfit 12.14 (86) to 13.6 (84) in front of a sellout crowd of 14,113.

The 30-year-old kicked the final goal of the nailbiter to send his side back into a lead they wouldn’t surrender, having put back-to-back majors together in the third quarter to keep the Eagles’ fightback alive.

“He’s given me a pretty easy run my whole career, having such a dominant ruckman, and he stood up today and I think he was the difference in the end,” said Kerr, who booted his side’s second goal in his 200th appearance.

“One guy doesn’t win you a game of football but I thought he played like the champion he is and stood up in the last quarter.”

Cox’s standout performance came on a day AFL great Leigh Matthews had predicted teammate Nic Naitanui could become the game’s greatest ruckman.

Naitanui was strong too but coach John Worsfold was in no doubt what he would need to achieve to reach that point.

“If Nic’s got a couple that he’s got to jump yet I would think Coxy’s probably one of them from what he’s showing,” Worsfold said.

“His career to date just stands up with any ruckman that’s been in the game I would expect.”

The Coast flew out of the blocks to kick three of the game’s first four goals but North looked like they had found the answer to the infamous “press” when they exploded with eight straight majors.

The Eagles wore them down, though, levelling at 78-78 in the last before Cox delivered the killer blow.

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott also had little doubt who had been the difference.

“(Cox) probably doesn’t get his due credit because of the awesome things that Nic Natanui does these days,” Scott said.

“But Dean Cox has just stamped himself again as the premier ruckman in the competition.”

The loss ended a three-match winning streak for the Kangaroos, who had rebounded from a 115-point drubbing from Hawthorn on their last trip to Tasmania.

Scott said they needed to do more to play football worthy of the finals.

“If we’d won today and four in a row against a couple of really good sides then I think we’re starting to get up there into finals contention,” he said.