West Coast’s Liam Ryan has remarkably kept playing after a brutal head collision with Melbourne midfielder Trent Rivers at Marvel Stadium.

Ryan went to tackle Rivers midway through the second quarter and hit the deck immediately after their heads banged together.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Liam Ryan and Trent Rivers involved in nasty head clash.

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Fans were in shock as doctors rushed out onto the ground to attend Ryan.

The commentators were also concerned for the players, and suggested both players would take no further part in the game.

However, Ryan and Rivers remarkably both returned after passing their Head Injury Assessments (HIA).

“What an effort to be out there ... It was a really nasty head clash,” Fox Footy commentator Kelli Underwood said in the third quarter.

Ryan had blood streaming from his face in what appeared to be a cut above the eye.

He returned with a bandage around his head, while Rivers was also sporting some tape around his head.

Both players played out the remainder of the game, which was easily won by Melbourne to the tune of 83 points.

After a scrappy first half, the Demons exploded in the third quarter with 10 goals as the margin ballooned out.

The heavy loss confirmed the wooden spoon for West Coast, who have won just one match for the season.

Skipper Max Gawn has led from the front as embattled Melbourne responded to a week in the spotlight with the thrashing.

Six days after their horror final-quarter capitulation to St Kilda piled pressure on coach Simon Goodwin, the Demons made light work of the battling Eagles.

The expected win will do little to ease the pressure in a season without finals — but a loss would have been catastrophic.

Gawn (21 disposals, 29 hitouts, 14 contested possessions, eight marks) set the tone around the ball as Melbourne’s midfield smashed West Coast’s on-ball division, which was without Harley Reid (ankle).

The Demons won clearances (40-30), contested possessions (145-103) and inside-50s (58-45) with ease.

Vice-captain Jack Viney (25 disposals, 13 clearances, 20 contested possessions) played his 234th AFL game, surpassing father and club great Todd Viney, and was typically brutal in the midfield.

He had support from Clayton Oliver (28 touches) and Christian Salem (30 disposals), while Kysaiah Pickett’s class (26 disposals) shone through.

Bayley Fritsch kicked four goals while Harrison Petty (three), Harvey Langford (three), Jacob van Rooyen (two) and former Eagle Jai Culley (two) chipped in.

It was just more pain for the last-placed Eagles, who have already indicated their plans to seek draft assistance from the AFL.

Ryan Maric (29 disposals) was a rare shining light while Jamie Cripps kicked two goals.

The Demons were dominant early but only booted three goals, before Maric got West Coast’s first from back-to-back 50-metre penalties late in the first term.

Melbourne led by 15 at quarter-time, then 22 at the main break.

Eagle Liam Ryan had a nasty head clash with Trent Rivers and had to come off for treatment on a gash, but returned to play with a bandaged head.

The Eagles traded goals with the Dees early in the third quarter, but Melbourne consistently threatened to break the game open and did so in the back half of the term.

When Gawn marked and nudged the Demons out to a 50-point lead late in the third, to the delight of the home fans, the job was done.

With a 63-point buffer at three-quarter time, Melbourne kicked away in the last.

Next Sunday, the Demons play the finals-chasing Western Bulldogs at the MCG, while West Coast face high-flying Adelaide.

- With AAP