First quarter: GWS Giants 8.6 (54) to Melbourne 3.0 (18)
Melbourne couldn’t have asked for a better start, when it booted the opening three goals.
A minute in, Max Gawn had the first on the board. And when Alex Neal-Bullen followed up soon after and Dom Tyson kicked truly at the eight-minute mark, the Demons were up by 16 points.
All the early indications were favouring Melbourne’s way, until the Giants registered their first via Stephen Coniglio at the 12-minute mark. What happened then was remarkable.
GWS piled on eight in a row to not only hit the front, but lead by 36 points at quarter-time.
It proved to be the Giants’ best first term since joining the competition in 2012.
Second quarter: GWS Giants 10.7 (67) to Melbourne 5.1 (31)
Melbourne ended GWS’ eight-goal streak with the first of the second term.
Tom McDonald opened his account at the seven-minute mark, which was the only major before time-on.
The Giants kicked their first for the quarter at the 20-minute mark through co-captain Callan Ward. And when Shane Mumford kicked his side’s 10th for the day, the home side was up by 43 points.
Cam Pedersen kicked Melbourne’s second for the term just before half-time, as both teams landed 2.1 for the period.
But the Demons still trailed by six goals at the long change.
Third quarter: GWS Giants 13.12 (90) to Melbourne 7.1 (43)
The Giants extended their lead to 49 points after Devon Smith opened the second half and Josh Kelly followed up with his third.
Melbourne managed back-to-back goals for the first time since early in the first quarter, when Jack Watts kicked his first and Neal-Bullen bobbed up for his second at the 11 and 12-minute mark respectively.
The efforts brought the margin back to 37 points.
But the Giants continued to pepper the goals and after a string of behinds, Smith stepped up with his second just before three quarter-time.
Entering the final term, GWS led by 47 points.
Final quarter: GWS Giants 14.13 (97) defeated Melbourne 10.2 (62)
Former Tiger Brett Deledio put the Giants up by 53 points, two minutes into the last term, when he kicked his first goal on debut with his new club.
Although Jake Melksham replied with back-to-back goals, Melbourne still trailed by 41 points at the five-minute mark.
The next major wasn’t scored until deep in time-on, which was Melbourne’s third in a row and Corey Maynard’s first AFL goal. It was also the last goal for the match.
In the end, the Giants won by 35 points.
Jordan Lewis finished with a game-high 35 disposals, with Bernie Vince (33) and Clayton Oliver (32) the next best. Ward was the best for the Giants with 29.
