The GWS Giants have shattered several records on their way to a thumping 78-point victory over two-time reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions on Sunday afternoon.
The Giants were without Jesse Hogan, Lachie Whitfield and Jack Buckley but it didn’t matter as they turned on the orange tsunami in a stunning third quarter blitz to blow the Lions off the park.
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At halftime GWS led by six points but they came out firing after the main break, scoring 14 goals to none to lead 145 to 56 at three quarter time.
The Giants scored 86 points in the third term, setting a new record for the highest scoring third quarter in the history of the AFL.
“They are no better than witches hats at the moment. They’ve sit back and let their game fall apart. This is unbelievable. It’s just been an avalanche,” Gerard Healy said on Kayo Sports.
“It’s frightening. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. This is an amazing performance by the orange. The Lions will look at this on replay and they won’t believe what they’re putting out.
“There’s just no urgency, no desperation, they’re getting slaughtered.
“Is there a mercy rule? (Brisbane is) stunned at the present time.”
Cameron Mooney added: “This is an extraordinary quarter of football from both teams. What we’re seeing from the Giants is just magical to watch. What we’re seeing from the Lions is horrifying.”
Logan Morris ended the GWS run early in the fourth, but any late Lions resistance mattered little as the Giants got their season back on track with a resounding 26.10 (166) to 13.10 (88) victory at Engie Stadium.
The Giants eclipsed their previous highest ever score of 162 points, with Toby Greene and Jake Stringer both kicking bags of five goals.
The result puts GWS 12th on the ladder and in touching distance of the wildcard round zone of 7th to 10th on the table. The Giants made finals in coach Adam Kingsley’s first three seasons in charge.
The Lions have bounced back from heavy defeats in previous campaigns to go on to win the premiership, but the heavy defeat will raise questions over whether Brisbane can make it a premiership three-peat.
Cam Mooney said: “This is the point of the season and you start to question have they got their hunger?
“I wasn’t ready to write them off a few weeks ago but now you start to question, is the hunger there.”
Lions great Alastair Lynch said Brisbane might look to write off the loss as a mulligan.
“Two years ago in Canberra it was a similar situation. Got belted by GWS by 54 points in Round 8 and only lost three games for the remainder of the year,” he said.
“That may come up during the week.”
– With NewsWire
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