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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.<\/p>\n
But the damage had been done in that opening half, with GWS\u2019 13.4 (82) the second worst score conceded by Sam Mitchell as coach and Hawthorn\u2019s third worst in almost a decade.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019ve ben well beaten up\u2026 (GWS) have been physical and Hawthorn haven\u2019t been able to match them in that sense,\u201d four-time premiership winner Jordan Lewis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Giants have been far superior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jake Stringer was the star in attack as he finished with five goals, while new \u201cbargain\u201d recruit Clayton Oliver showed his worth with 27 disposals – 19 of those contested, nine clearances, seven score involvements and a goal. <\/p>\n
Relive GWS vs. Hawthorn in Foxfooty.com.au\u2019s blog below!<\/p>\n
THE 3-2-1 (what we learned) …<\/p>\n
3. \u2018UNBELIEVABLE\u2019: EPIC MOMENT SUMS UP STUNNING CLARRY DEBUT<\/p>\n
One magical Clayton Oliver piece of play summed up Saturday afternoon\u2019s result in multiple respects. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
It encapsulated the ex-Demon\u2019s dazzling Giants debut, and the Hawks\u2019 day to forget in a nutshell – with Oliver allowed to attack the contest completely unimpeded. <\/p>\n
The 28-year-old finished with an industrious 27 disposals, a game-high nine clearances, seven score involvements and a goal. <\/p>\n
Speaking to Fox Footy\u2019s Ben Dixon post-game, Oliver said he was \u201clost for words\u201d reflecting on the win. <\/p>\n
\u201cI came back pretty unfit (in the summer), to be honest, a bit fat – but the first session back I was running with \u2018Whitters\u2019 (Lachie Whitfield), Toby Bedford, Lachie Ash, and mate, the standard they set is actually on another level. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole list was back (at the club) two weeks early – they\u2019re just that hungry. I think that\u2019s why I came here – I know what the boys have got, the list and the talent they\u2019ve got, but I think it\u2019s the hard work. <\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Kingers\u2019 has put that from the top; it\u2019s unreal.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
They also smashed the Hawks 8-2 in centre clearances and applied an elite-rated 212 pressure factor in the opening term. <\/p>\n
Team defence and ball movement were also big-time highlights, with GWS able to carve up Hawthorn in transition off turnover.<\/p>\n
At half-time, four-time Hawthorn premiership great Jordan Lewis said of the Giants: \u201cI thought it was powerful. Every phase of their game, whether it be stoppages, offence or defence, they were all in sync.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been unbelievable \u2026 he\u2019s been on the move at stoppages, which has clearly helped him get the ball and help bring other players into the game,\u201d Lewis said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s certainly complementing what is out in Tom Green.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saints AFLW coach Nick Dal Santo added: \u201cThe thing about Clayton Oliver, the way that he plays football, it\u2019s consistent and predictable – he\u2019s tough. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe went to Jai Newcombe to start the game \u2026 he plays a consistent brand of footy, and he\u2019s got the rewards so far.\u201d<\/p>\n
Few would have anticipated the Giants\u2019 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\u2019t have timelines for return, and Sam Taylor and Brent Daniels will spend at least the first month of the season out. <\/p>\n
And with Green sidelined, attention turned to big-name recruit Oliver, who could eventually turn out to be one of the best \u201cbig discount\u201d buys. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe spotlight goes onto this guy \u2026 he has come at an extraordinary discount. One of the biggest discounts in the game\u2019s history,\u201d Herald Sun and Fox Footy reporter Jay Clark said pre-game. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe can tell you that GWS is paying him $600,000 dollars a year over the life of his five-year contract at GWS. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis guy will be eyeing something special, because he\u2019s loving it up there at GWS \u2026 he\u2019s the perfect replacement for Tom Green. What an amazing thing to have this guy step straight in.\u201d<\/p>\n
2. \u2018BEATEN UP\u2019: EARLY HAWKS ISSUES \u2018EXPOSED\u2019<\/p>\n
It\u2019s game one, granted, but the defensive holes on Saturday would have been alarming for Hawthorn\u2019s coaching staff – particularly in the first half. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
It started with not being able to cope with the Giants\u2019 elite pressure, and ended with an inability to stop the hosts\u2019 devastating rebound off half-back. <\/p>\n
The visitors also didn\u2019t have many fortunes moving the footy from end to end, with the Giants\u2019 team defence proving incredibly stingy. <\/p>\n
GWS applied an elite-rated 212 pressure factor in the first quarter, which set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. <\/p>\n
Lewis said in the early stages that the Hawks were \u201cdefensively out of whack\u201d, and that was the overwhelming theme as the Giants were consistently able to create isolation for their tall forwards. <\/p>\n
The hosts helped themselves to eight marks inside 50 in the first half, with Fox Footy\u2019s Nick Dal Santo challenging the Hawks\u2019 veterans in defence to take accountability. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the concern,\u201d he said at half-time. <\/p>\n
\u201cI 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?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of times there was a key forward by himself \u2026 the game\u2019s hard – it\u2019s a lot easier when there\u2019s no one on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis said: \u201cA 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 13.4 conceded to the main break was the Hawks\u2019 second-worst result under Sam Mitchell, as well as their third-worst score conceded in a half in almost a decade. <\/p>\n
\u201cHawthorn are not moving together, they are not sync. There is hesitation on whether to press or not press,\u201d former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said on AFL Nation radio. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think they\u2019ve been well-beaten up,\u201d Lewis said with minutes remaining in the game. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Giants have been physical – I don\u2019t think the Hawks have been able to match them in that sense. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then, the outside game, the Giants have been far superior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dal Santo added: \u201cThe Hawks have only had 35 tackles, so it probably reflects their inability to slow down the Giants.\u201d<\/p>\n
1. \u2018SCARY\u2019 SIGNS AS WIZ DOES IT ALL FOR HAWKS<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The \u2018Wizard\u2019 had a team-high eight score involvements from just 17 disposals, and kicked two goals. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
One particular scintillating burst out of the centre-square stoppage was a highlight. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s scary, isn\u2019t it? \u2026 Especially when he comes straight out the front,\u201d Lewis said. <\/p>\n
Ben Dixon said from boundary level: \u201cThis 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThree of 13 (centre ball-ups) is not enough for me \u2026 I\u2019d be very, very surprised in the second term if we don\u2019t see him attend a few more centre bounces.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the first quarter, Watson roved brilliantly and burnt a few Giants defenders before snapping an epic goal. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe catches the eye with the pace … but that front and square is as good as it gets,\u201d Lewis praised.<\/p>\n
The exhilarating small forward kicked his second goal halfway through the final term. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe has tried to lift his side all afternoon, he just hasn\u2019t had enough support,\u201d Leigh Montagna said on Fox Footy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Giants have sent an Opening Round statement with a 27-point win over Hawthorn in front of Hollywood…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,12093,64,63,689,55,639,261069,127768,9203,19120,7803,2538,2105,2485,1139,261070,7492,3231,19125,14416,261066,261068,7198,673,677,77298,701,117446,12144,85,670,261067,506],"class_list":{"0":"post-524304","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-afl","9":"tag-another-fine-day","10":"tag-au","11":"tag-australia","12":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","13":"tag-australian-football-league","14":"tag-australianfootballleague","15":"tag-buy-leads-vengeance","16":"tag-cameron-mackenzie","17":"tag-catherine-healey","18":"tag-christian-petracca","19":"tag-clayton-oliver","20":"tag-darcy-jones","21":"tag-getty-images-inc","22":"tag-gold-coast","23":"tag-greater-western-sydney-giants","24":"tag-guy-step-straight","25":"tag-hawthorn-hawks","26":"tag-jack-jovanovski","27":"tag-jay-clark","28":"tag-josh-kelley","29":"tag-lachie-mckirdy","30":"tag-leads-vengeance-mission","31":"tag-michael-willson","32":"tag-new-south-wales","33":"tag-oceania","34":"tag-preliminary-final-berth","35":"tag-queensland","36":"tag-reigning-club-champion","37":"tag-sam-taylor","38":"tag-sports","39":"tag-sydney","40":"tag-turf-worry","41":"tag-western-suburbs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=524304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/524305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=524304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=524304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=524304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}