The Giants have sent an Opening Round statement with a 27-point win over Hawthorn in front of Hollywood royalty Tom Hanks on Saturday.
Despite missing at least eight of their starters due to injury, GWS were at their punishing best in a blistering 13-goal first half.
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And they would go on to claim a 19.8 (122) to 14.11 (95) win at ENGIE Stadium after the Hawks added some respectability to the scoreboard late.
But the damage had been done in that opening half, with GWS’ 13.4 (82) the second worst score conceded by Sam Mitchell as coach and Hawthorn’s third worst in almost a decade.
“I think they’ve ben well beaten up… (GWS) have been physical and Hawthorn haven’t been able to match them in that sense,” four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis said.
“The Giants have been far superior.”
Jake Stringer was the star in attack as he finished with five goals, while new “bargain” recruit Clayton Oliver showed his worth with 27 disposals – 19 of those contested, nine clearances, seven score involvements and a goal.
Relive GWS vs. Hawthorn in Foxfooty.com.au’s blog below!
THE 3-2-1 (what we learned) …
3. ‘UNBELIEVABLE’: EPIC MOMENT SUMS UP STUNNING CLARRY DEBUT
One magical Clayton Oliver piece of play summed up Saturday afternoon’s result in multiple respects.
With his Giants up six goals on the Hawks late in the third quarter, an unmarked Oliver expertly roved a forward-50 throw-in before snapping a highly improbable left-footed goal from the boundary.
It encapsulated the ex-Demon’s dazzling Giants debut, and the Hawks’ day to forget in a nutshell – with Oliver allowed to attack the contest completely unimpeded.
The 28-year-old finished with an industrious 27 disposals, a game-high nine clearances, seven score involvements and a goal.
Speaking to Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon post-game, Oliver said he was “lost for words” reflecting on the win.
“I came back pretty unfit (in the summer), to be honest, a bit fat – but the first session back I was running with ‘Whitters’ (Lachie Whitfield), Toby Bedford, Lachie Ash, and mate, the standard they set is actually on another level.
“The whole list was back (at the club) two weeks early – they’re just that hungry. I think that’s why I came here – I know what the boys have got, the list and the talent they’ve got, but I think it’s the hard work.
“‘Kingers’ has put that from the top; it’s unreal.”
Oliver was prominent from the get-go as the Giants dominated at the coalface in the first quarter, leading the contested possession count 42-30 – with Oliver leading allcomers with seven.
They also smashed the Hawks 8-2 in centre clearances and applied an elite-rated 212 pressure factor in the opening term.
Team defence and ball movement were also big-time highlights, with GWS able to carve up Hawthorn in transition off turnover.
At half-time, four-time Hawthorn premiership great Jordan Lewis said of the Giants: “I thought it was powerful. Every phase of their game, whether it be stoppages, offence or defence, they were all in sync.”
And by half-time, Oliver had 12 disposals – 10 of which were contested – and four clearances, with the absence of star ball-winner Tom Green suddenly not feeling all that burdening.
“He’s been unbelievable … he’s been on the move at stoppages, which has clearly helped him get the ball and help bring other players into the game,” Lewis said.
“He’s certainly complementing what is out in Tom Green.”
Saints AFLW coach Nick Dal Santo added: “The thing about Clayton Oliver, the way that he plays football, it’s consistent and predictable – he’s tough.
“He went to Jai Newcombe to start the game … he plays a consistent brand of footy, and he’s got the rewards so far.”
Few would have anticipated the Giants’ explosive start to the season, given reigning club champion Green is out for the season with a torn ACL, while Josh Kelly, Darcy Jones and Cody Angove don’t have timelines for return, and Sam Taylor and Brent Daniels will spend at least the first month of the season out.
And with Green sidelined, attention turned to big-name recruit Oliver, who could eventually turn out to be one of the best “big discount” buys.
“The spotlight goes onto this guy … he has come at an extraordinary discount. One of the biggest discounts in the game’s history,” Herald Sun and Fox Footy reporter Jay Clark said pre-game.
“We can tell you that GWS is paying him $600,000 dollars a year over the life of his five-year contract at GWS.
“He was due to be paid $1.3 million in red and blue this year. So, they are paying him less than half of what he was valued at only a few years ago.
“This guy will be eyeing something special, because he’s loving it up there at GWS … he’s the perfect replacement for Tom Green. What an amazing thing to have this guy step straight in.”
2. ‘BEATEN UP’: EARLY HAWKS ISSUES ‘EXPOSED’
It’s game one, granted, but the defensive holes on Saturday would have been alarming for Hawthorn’s coaching staff – particularly in the first half.
Through the first two quarters, the Hawks conceded 13.4 (82). For context, their average points conceded in a whole game last year was 73.
It started with not being able to cope with the Giants’ elite pressure, and ended with an inability to stop the hosts’ devastating rebound off half-back.
The visitors also didn’t have many fortunes moving the footy from end to end, with the Giants’ team defence proving incredibly stingy.
GWS applied an elite-rated 212 pressure factor in the first quarter, which set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
Lewis said in the early stages that the Hawks were “defensively out of whack”, and that was the overwhelming theme as the Giants were consistently able to create isolation for their tall forwards.
The hosts helped themselves to eight marks inside 50 in the first half, with Fox Footy’s Nick Dal Santo challenging the Hawks’ veterans in defence to take accountability.
“This is the concern,” he said at half-time.
“I think Sam Mitchell and the Hawks have a decision – do you want to sit back and allow (a Giants tall forward) to be all by himself?
“The amount of times there was a key forward by himself … the game’s hard – it’s a lot easier when there’s no one on you.”
Lewis said: “A lot of the times they (the Giants) went quick, but even when they were able to balance the ball, they were able to really expose this Hawthorn side.”
The 13.4 conceded to the main break was the Hawks’ second-worst result under Sam Mitchell, as well as their third-worst score conceded in a half in almost a decade.
“Hawthorn are not moving together, they are not sync. There is hesitation on whether to press or not press,” former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said on AFL Nation radio.
“It’s happened a number of times; they are a second off and when you are a second off, you give up ten goals in 40 minutes of play.”
The Giants got out to a game-high 40-point lead halfway through the third term, and while the Hawks rallied with three-straight goals to start the fourth, it was too little, too late at ENGIE Stadium.
“I think they’ve been well-beaten up,” Lewis said with minutes remaining in the game.
“I think the Giants have been physical – I don’t think the Hawks have been able to match them in that sense.
“And then, the outside game, the Giants have been far superior.”
Dal Santo added: “The Hawks have only had 35 tackles, so it probably reflects their inability to slow down the Giants.”
1. ‘SCARY’ SIGNS AS WIZ DOES IT ALL FOR HAWKS
Jack Gunston kicked four goals from seven disposals, but it was Nick Watson who looked most threatening for the Hawks when he got near it on Saturday.
The ‘Wizard’ had a team-high eight score involvements from just 17 disposals, and kicked two goals.
In a sign of an expansion of his game, Watson attended three centre ball-ups in the first quarter and was involved in a clearance on two occasions.
One particular scintillating burst out of the centre-square stoppage was a highlight.
“It’s scary, isn’t it? … Especially when he comes straight out the front,” Lewis said.
Ben Dixon said from boundary level: “This is the impact through the middle of the ground he can have – look at the speed he hits this contest at; he just makes something happen.
“Three of 13 (centre ball-ups) is not enough for me … I’d be very, very surprised in the second term if we don’t see him attend a few more centre bounces.”
In the first quarter, Watson roved brilliantly and burnt a few Giants defenders before snapping an epic goal.
“He catches the eye with the pace … but that front and square is as good as it gets,” Lewis praised.
The exhilarating small forward kicked his second goal halfway through the final term.
“He has tried to lift his side all afternoon, he just hasn’t had enough support,” Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy.