MELBOURNE captain Kate Hore has put on a clinic to spearhead the reigning premiers to a 77-point win over Greater Western Sydney.
The Dees reaffirmed their status as the team to beat yet again this season, proving too classy for the Giants at Manuka Oval, recording a 15.9 (99) to 3.4 (22) victory.
Hore put together one of the best first quarters in recent memory, booting three goals and racking up 13 disposals and five marks.
The Giants defence had no answers for the Dees skipper, who ran rampant all evening and became just the second Demon after former skipper Daisy Pearce to kick five goals in a game.
The Giants got off to the perfect start with Georgia Garnett steaming into the open goal after the Giants won the centre clearance in textbook fashion, but two Hore goals within a minute gave Melbourne the lead and they never looked back.
The Dees booted three unanswered goals in the second term, dominating the contested possession count (135-109) and winning the clearance battle (35-22).
GWS got the first goal of the second half through Alicia Eva but they were unable to convert their solid play into scoreboard reward.
Hore continued to impress throughout the contest and has taken to the captaincy like a duck to water following Pearce's retirement at the end of last season.
"She's phenomenal, she's a great captain and you can see what she shows out on the field, she's amazing," defender Libby Birch told Fox Footy at half-time.
The Melbourne spearhead finished the match with 23 disposals, eight marks, six tackles and five majors and was the game-breaker when the heat was on early.
Melbourne flexed their muscle in the final quarter, booting seven unanswered goals to run over the top of the Giants.
Midfield maestros Tyla Hanks (30 disposals) and Olivia Purcell (27 disposals, two goals) were busy throughout the contest, while Sarah Lampard (22 disposals, two goals) is a key cog for the Dees in their quest for back-to-back premierships.
Melbourne were dealt a big blow when Paxy Paxman was ruled out before the match, with the gun midfielder unable to play due to a minor quad strain. The club is "optimistic" Paxman will return for the round three clash against the Western Bulldogs.
McNamara building nicely
After suffering a season-ending spinal injury on the eve of season seven, Eliza McNamara is back doing her thing for the Dees on the big stage. The winger made her return to footy last week with 15 disposals in the season opener against the Pies but showed glimpses of her best against the Giants on Sunday. A chase-down tackle halfway through the third term and some signature gut-running highlighted her importance to Mick Stinear's side. McNamara also looked dangerous as a small forward and was lively around the ball, finishing with 18 touches and three shots on goal. She's back in a big way and ready to make her mark in this scarily good Melbourne outfit, who look likely to challenge again this season.
Up next
Melbourne will look to make it three wins in a row when they host the Western Bulldogs at Casey Fields next Saturday at 3:05pm, while the Giants will look to bounce back against the Tigers at Blacktown International Sports Park at 1:05pm AEST on Saturday.
GWS GIANTS 2.1 2.1 3.3 3.4 (22)
MELBOURNE 4.1 7.5 8.7 15.9 (99)
GOALS
GWS Giants: Garnett, Doyle, Eva
Melbourne: Hore 5, Bannan 3, Purcell 2, Lampard 2, Zanker, Mackin, Mithen
BEST
GWS Giants: Barr, Eva, Evans, Parker, Beeson
Melbourne: Hore, Lampard, Hanks, Pearce, Purcell
INJURIES
GWS Giants: Nil
Melbourne: Nil
LATE CHANGES
GWS Giants: Annalyse Lister (calf) replaced in selected side by Caitlin Miller
Melbourne: Nil
