Jonathon Patton kicks five as GWS locks in a top four spot with 37-point win over North Melbourne

JONATHON Patton and Steve Johnson kicked nine goals between them as GWS locked in a top-four spot with a 37-point win over North Melbourne.

Jonathon Patton (L) celebrates a goal. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

IT’S 2006. West Coast is on track to make successive grand finals and Fremantle is a top four side challenging for a maiden flag.

A mate turns to you and says, “I bet you there’ll be a Sydney derby in the finals before there is a Western derby”.

With Greater Western Sydney not yet even a twinkle in Andrew Demetriou’s eye, Darryl Kerrigan could not have emphasised enough that your mate was dreamin’.

But as bonkers as the concept might have been 10 years ago, that’s the scenario footy fans are waking to this morning after the Giants pinched a top four spot at the death last night.

GWS still hasn’t beaten every other side in the competition in its five-year existence, but a first-ever win over North Melbourne last night — a 14.16 (100) to 9.9 (63) triumph at Etihad Stadium — catapulted it to a double chance.

All that needs to happen to ensure the Giants’ debut finals match is against cross-town rival Sydney at ANZ Stadium in a fortnight is for Hawthorn to defeat Collingwood today.

After Adelaide’s shock loss on Friday night, the AFL’s newest side had everything to play for in what was its first night game in Melbourne.

But the variable of a North side playing on the emotion of the week that was meant that this was a potential banana skin.

And when Ben Brown kicked three first quarter goals, the deer was looking a little stunned in the headlights.

But then two players who loom as September X-factors stood tall.

Jon Patton is becoming a scary proposition.

Steve Johnson kicks a goal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

The 2011 No. 1 draft pick has taken a while to grow in to his boots in an injury-marred start to his career, but something is starting to click for the 23-year-old forward.

He kicked six goals against Fremantle last week and backed that up with another five-goal haul in a dominant best on ground performance that also included nine marks.

If Jeremy Cameron — just the one goal last night — can also rediscover some of his zest then the Giants are every chance to go all the way.

Particularly with someone like Steve Johnson also buzzing around.

Stevie J was at his crazy best last night, three of his four goals were utter gems, but his third quarter effort — off-balance from the boundary line — was sublime even by his standards.

It was a game in which intensity ebbed and flowed, perhaps owing to the muted atmosphere provided by a lowly crowd of 22,295.

Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo and Michael Firrito leave the field. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

Dylan Shiel (29 possessions) and Tom Scully (29) found plenty of it, Shane Mumford (31 hitouts to Todd Goldstein’s 24) shaded the ruck duel and Adam Tomlinson kept Drew Petrie all but touchless, but Patton and Johnson were the difference.

North has a mountain of worries.

It lost Jamie Macmillan to a hip injury early, but there were few other excuses for yet another listless performance.

Brown battled hard but couldn’t add to his early goals, Majak Daw had his moments, Brent Harvey (26 disposals) was perhaps his side’s despite the week’s controversial revelation that he won’t be getting another contract, while Sam Gibson (29 touches) and Jack Ziebell (24) also battled manfully.

If the Hawks do win today the Kangaroos will play Adelaide in Adelaide in the elimination final, otherwise it’s West Coast in Perth.

Having lost nine of its last 11 games — and its last four in total — it looks a case of choosing one’s own poison as on exposed form North is no chance at either cauldron.

Last night’s combatants could not be entering September in more contrasting shapes.

A staple chant from the GWS “cheersquad” last night was “here come the Giants”.

Here they come indeed.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.5 6.8 10.11 14.16 (100)

NORTH MELBOURNE 3.1 5.3 6.8 9.9 (63)

GOALS

Greater Western Sydney: J Patton 5 S Johnson 4 D Smith 2 C Ward J Cameron J Hopper.

North Melbourne: B Brown 3 B Harvey 2 B Cunnington J Ziebell L McDonald M Daw.

MATT WINDLEY’S VOTES

3. Jonathon Patton (Giants)

2. Steve Johnson (Giants)

1. Dylan Shiel (Giants)

WINDLEY’S BEST

Greater Western Sydney: Patton, Johnson, Shiel, Scully, Shaw, Tomlinson, Mumford

North Melbourne: Harvey, Gibson, Ziebell, Mullett, Wells, Brown