GWS v Collingwood: Giants send message in dominant win over Magpies

Collingwood was meant to be the road warrior. A team capable of knocking off any club on their home patch after a rousing win over the reigning premiers in Perth last week. But GWS had other ideas.

GWS forward Jeremy Cameron was at his brilliant best in the win over the Pies. Picture: Getty Images

GWS coach Leon Cameron has declared “anything is possible” for the Giants this season, after his coaching masterclass helped execute a rousing ambush of Collingwood at Giants Stadium.

GWS rose from the canvas to produce one of the toughest wins in its history, overcoming the stunning absence of its entire five-man leadership group to bury the Magpies by 47 points, with unlikely captain Toby Greene leading from the front and Jeremy Cameron kicking a perfect six goals.

GWS forward Jeremy Cameron was at his brilliant best in the win over the Pies. Picture: Getty Images

Staring down the barrel of a fourth straight defeat and finals oblivion as they teetered on the edge of the top eight, the sleeping Giants awoke against one of the AFL heavyweights to reinvigorate premiership hopes in an emphatic 122-75 triumph.

Under mounting pressure, Cameron threw caution to the wind with team selection and the bold presence of Greene and Zac Williams in the midfield and ruckmen Shane Mumford and Dawson Simpson on the field at the same time shocked Collingwood and inspired an eight goals to one first quarter blitz.

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Against Richmond last week, GWS failed to hit the scoreboard in a woeful first quarter. But by quarter-time last night the Giants had raced to a 50-7 advantage with a near perfect display defined by the fact they had eight goals on the scoreboard for only six marks inside 50.

Collingwood tried to claw its way back and kept GWS scoreless for much of the second quarter, but when Harry Himmelberg (four goals) kicked a crucial major right before halftime to break a two-goal Magpies run, Buckley smashed his phone to smithereens in the coach’s box in disgust.

Brodie Grundy had another huge game for the Pies in a battle against GWS twin towers Dawson Simpson and Shane Mumford. Picture: AAP

Jeremy Finlayson was axed for his woeful performance against Brisbane two weeks ago when he didn’t lay a tackle, but last night a crunching hit to set up a goal for Cameron sent a more powerful message than even his dominance in front of goal, where he had hammered home three before the first break.

Neither Jeremy Cameron or Himmelberg missed a shot all night, and Cameron epitomised the work ethic of the Giants with 20 disposals to boot.

By the final quarter it was party time in front of 15,467, as big ruckman Dawson Simpson kicked his first goal in four seasons at the Giants, and new crowd favourite Bobby Hill kicked his first on home soil.

Fox Footy expert Jason Dunstall declared it the most “aggressive, desperate and committed” GWS showing he’d seen — this from a side that had looked reluctant to get their hands dirty for the past few weeks.

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Cameron admits he put it all on the line, but deferred credit to the belief of his players.

“If you believe like we believed tonight, anything is possible. We’ve just got to back it up,” said Cameron.

“Always a risk (positional changes). If you lose, I’m sitting here probably getting hammered. It’s a fine line.

“But let’s be honest, eight goals to one first quarter, you don’t set yourself up for that. The players have to take the credit. You put players in positions but they’re the ones who have to deliver.”

Missing leaders Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio and Matt de Boer, then losing co-captain Phil Davis on match-eve, former bad boy Greene announced himself as a leader of substance.

“Off the field he had his misdemeanor five or six years ago and people think, ‘can he be a leader?’ He absolutely can,” said Cameron.

“He’s a spiritual leader for us, but equally he’s working hard to be one of our official leaders

“I think it says a lot about him, because he’s willing to go there. Some people don’t want that (responsibility) but he’s willing to go there.”

Jeremy Camreron and Harrison Himmelberg celebrate a goal during the demolition. Picture: AAP

CAMERON CLASS

The pressure that was starting to build on Leon Cameron heading into this match could not be understated. If the Giants were to fade out of premiership reckoning this soon with the roster he has at his disposal, the heat would have been turned up on him like never before.

But Cameron showed his class, holding his nerve.

Despite the predicament he and his team were in, Cameron volunteered to be the first coach of the AFL season to agree to be mic’d up during the first quarter on Fox Footy — happy to talk through his gutsy selection calls.

Stand-in captain Toby Greene had an enormous opening term and led from the front throughout. Picture: Getty Images

FIRST QUARTER BLITZ

Leon Cameron started the game with default captain Toby Greene and halfback ace Zac Williams marshalling the midfield in the absence of Kelly and Coniglio — and sent his two big ruckmen Shane Mumford and Dawson Simpson out to battle at the same time to try and mitigate the impact of Magpies brutes, Brodie Grundy and Mason Cox.

The Pies were rocked by a blistering eight-goal first term from the rampaging GWS.

The Giants kicked the first goal of the game via Jeremy Finlayson within two minutes of the start, but the Magpies almost squared it up soon after when Callum Brown opened the visiting team’s account.

From there, the floodgates opened and by quarter time the scoreline was 50 to 7!

Collingwood was this season’s best first-quarter team in the AFL before today. But tonight’s 50-7 margin was the fifth worst in the club’s history.

The Pies were demolished by the Giants in the opening term.

The ‘Orange Tsunami’ wrested complete control of the game to pile on seven unanswered goals, with Finlayson (three), Jeremy Cameron (three) and Harry Himmelberg (two) putting the strain on the Magpies’ defence.

The Giant’s eight-goal first term — which equalled their 8.2 opening quarter against the Saints in Round 7 — was only one goal short of their entire game tally from last week’s embarrassing loss to Richmond.

The Magpies, in contrast, were a pale imitation of the team that knocked off West Coast on the road last week.

Melbourne great Garry Lyon was shocked by the lacklustre Pies.

“That’s as dominant a slaughter in the forward half as I’ve seen all year,” Lyon said.

“Everything that Leon cameron and the Giants have done has worked, you can imagine the headaches for Nathan Buckley.”

Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said “it’s an ambush” from the Giants.

“Toby Greene, captain, goes into the midfield, has 13 touches in the first term. Zac Williams, normally half back, goes into the midfield, has eight.

“Then they are able to find their key forwards in Cameron and also Finlayson — three goals apiece and Himmelberg with two.

“It couldn’t have worked out better form a Giants’ perspective.”

Young Giant Bobby Hill gets a Gatorade shower after his first AFL win. Picture: Getty Images

SCOREBOARD

GWS 8.2 9.2 13.5 19.8 (122)

d

COLLINGWOOD 1.1 3.2 7.7 11.9 (75)

GOALS

Giants: Cameron 6, Finlayson 4, Himmelberg 3, Greene 2, Daniels, Reid, Simpson, Hill

Magpies: Brown 2, Crocker 2, Pendlebury 2, Sier, Sidebottom, Hoskin-Elliott, De Goey, Grundy

BEN HORNE’S BEST

Giants: Cameron, Greene, Whitfield, Taranto, Finlayson, Himmelberg

Magpies: Grundy, Crisp, Treloar, Adams

Adam Treloar was among a very small number of Pies winners on the night. Picture: Getty Images

BEN HORNE’S VOTES

3 — Jeremy Cameron (GWS)

2 — Toby Greene (GWS)

1 — Lachie Whitfield (GWS)

INJURIES

Giants: TBC

Magpies: Mayne (knee)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Meredith, Williamson, Wallace

Official crowd: 15,467 at Giants Stadium