GWS Giants defeat Hawthorn by 75 points at Spotless Stadium, Round 6

GWS has defeated Hawthorn by 75 points to announce itself as a genuine premiership contender at Spotless Stadium.

Rhys Palmer celebrates after kicking a goal. (Photo by Brett Hemmings/AFL Media/Getty Images)

THE AFL has had a glimpse of the future at Spotless Stadium and it’s scary.

The worst fears of the other 17 teams are becoming a reality after the GWS Giants demolished triple premiers Hawthorn by 75 points.

The 13,766 in attendance would do well to remember the date and what they saw.

In a match billed as the Challengers against the Champs, the AFL’s newest team announced their arrival as a genuine premiership contender with a start to finish domination of the competition’s benchmark.

The 158 points was the Giants biggest score ever, surpassing the 151 the racked up against Port Adelaide two weeks ago. It was the biggest score Hawthorn has conceded since 2005 and also the first time a team has put 84 first half points on them since the Western Bulldogs in 2009.

Steve Johnson looked like he was going to make the game his own when he kicked five first half goals but it was a performance from the little known Rory Lobb which will stay in the memory.

In just his 17th game Lobb took 10 marks including eight contested and kicked four goals in a best on ground performance.

The makeshift ruckman who filled in for Shane Mumford when he was injured last year has turned an outstanding pre-season into a break out year.

He had plenty of mates in support. Stephen Coniglio racked up 30 disposals and made nine tackles as he helped restrict Sam Mitchell to 26 touches and a rare under 30 possession game.

Tom Scully was also outstanding in his best year in the AFL with 23 disposals and three goals. The Giants had seven multiple goal kickers with Rhys Palmer, Jeremy Cameron and Toby Greene each with three.

Dylan Shiel (34), Lachie Whitfield (28) and two goals, Callan Ward (29) and Josh Kelly (26) flogged the Hawks in contested possession (153-114) and even the tackle count 63-41.

Heath Shaw again led the GWS defence and looks to be in All Australian form again this season.

Jack Gunston played a lone hand for the visitors and made the best of limited supply to kick five goals straight and Luke Breust chipped in with three.

Steve Johnson celebrates a goal. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The Hawks have found a way to win in recent weeks with 3 points wins against Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and Adelaide but their contested possession count finally caught up with them.

Ryan Griffen was a late withdrawal after taking a knock to his thigh during the Giants training session at Spotless on Thursday but his absence was barely missed especially when Johnson took the game over in the first half with 14 possessions to go with his five goals.

Leon Cameron got the see the best and worst of the triple premiership player when he opened the third quarter in the worst possible way gifting Hawthorn a goal from a double 50m penalty.

A combination of kneeing Hodge while he was on the ground and then hitting him in the back of the head brought the penalties. The Hawks skipper had put in a sneaky one but Johnson took the bait to gift the opening goal of the third quarter.

GWS: 24.14.158

HAWTHORN: 12.11 (83)

GOALS

Greater Western Sydney: Johnson 5, Lobb 4, Cameron, Scully, Greene, Palmer 3, Whitfield 2, Ward

Hawthorn: Gunston 5, Breust 3, Puopolo 2, Howe, Rioli

BEST

Greater Western Sydney: Lobb, Coniglio, Scully, Shaw, Shiel, Johnson, Ward, Kelly, Whitfield, Palmer, Greene, Mumford

Hawthorn: Gunston, Breust, Birchall, Hodge, Mitchell

INJURIES

Greater Western Sydney: Griffen (back) replaced in the selected side by Haynes

Hawthorn: Frawley (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Foot, Ryan, McInerney

Official crowd: 13,766 at Spotless Stadium