Match

GWS Giants vs Melbourne

Commentary / 04 Apr 2021

Pre Game

00:00
GWS Giants have won 10 of their past 12 games at Manuka Oval, however, they did have a 56-point defeat in their most recent game at this venue in Round 21, 2019 against the Hawks.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:28
The opening centre bounce has resulted in a secondary stoppage. GWS is ranked last this season at both winning centre bounce clearances and scoring from this source.
01:06
An early goal to the Demons and Alex Neal-Bullen from a forward half intercept. Melbourne is ranked second at generating such intercepts and ranked third at scoring from this source across the opening games in 2021.
03:45
GWS talisman Toby Greene has kicked the opening goal for the Giants following a chain that started in the defensive 50. The Giants are ranked last at scoring from defensive half chains this season.
05:03
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Jacob Hopper)
05:22
GWS is ranked No.1 at generating forward half intercepts this season, but only ranked mid table for scoring from this source. The second goal to the Giants tonight followed such an intercept in the forward 50.
09:52
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
10:23
Two goals to Toby Greene, and both have come from chains started in the back half leaving the dangerous Greene with space in the forward half. GWS has averaged only 20 points per game from such chains in 2021.
12:01
Melbourne already has a 4-1 advantage in intercept marks. The Demons average 26 such marks per game and the Giants only 13.
14:16
Four goals from just the six inside 50 entries to start the game for the Giants. GWS has recorded forward half kicking efficiency of 89 percent compared to Melbourne 56 percent in its forward half.
16:20
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
16:39
Stephen Coniglio has recorded 11.3 contested possessions per game across seven career games against the Demons, which is his best return against any team. The GWS captain has won two early contested possessions and the Giants lead this count 23-14.
17:51
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)
18:03
Christian Petracca recorded career-highs last week for all of disposals (30), kicks (22), metres gained (672), uncontested possessions (22) and centre bounce attendances (21). The star Demon has an early goal from his three disposals tonight.
19:52
Clayton Oliver has won 18 contested possessions per game this season (ranked No.1 in the AFL). Tonight he has Matt de Boer for company and is yet to win a possession.
22:13
Melbourne is showing signs of controlling the aerial battles tonight. The Demons lead intercept marks (7-1), contested marks (3-0), and total marks (20-11).
24:40
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
24:56
GWS has scored 3.0 from its set shots at goal and Melbourne has scored 0.2 from its three set shots at goal (with one shot failing to score).
25:50
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
27:04
Melbourne lead forward half intercepts 10-4, but the efficient Giants lead 18-13 in points scored from this source. GWS has averaged 27 points from this source in 2021.
29:05
Toby Greene now has an 11-0 free kick for-and-against count this season, which is easily the best differential of all players in the competition.
29:32
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
31:02
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
33:06
A strong opening quarter from the Giants who were more efficient in the forward half. Both teams recorded kicking efficiency of 70 percent in the back half, but GWS recorded forward half kicking efficiency of 80 percent compared to Melbourne 48 percent.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:12
Steven May has added a stronger offensive element to his game this season and recorded a career-high 620 metres gained last week. Prior to 2021, May had only once had 20 kicks in a game, but he has done that in each of the first two games this season. May had just the two kicks in the opening quarter.
00:45
Finally an accurate set shot at goal from the Demons and it was from young tall Luke Jackson following a centre bounce clearance. Melbourne leads the centre bounce clearance count 6-2, but this was its first score of the game from this source.
01:04
Giants Interchange - Phil Davis and is possibly out for the game.
03:49
GWS has an early 4-0 advantage in marks on the lead, and importantly all of these marks have been taken in the forward half.
05:17
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
05:34
Bayley Fritsch has been the target of five kicks inside 50 by the Demons, with the last such kick providing Fritsch with his first mark and goal of the game. Fritsch (20) and Tom McDonald (21) have been the main forward 50 targets this season for Melbourne.
11:18
Giants Interchange - Stephen Coniglio and is possibly out for the game.
12:00
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Josh Kelly)
12:25
A clever tap from Brent Daniels provided the assist on the goal to Josh Kelly. Daniels has attended four centre bounces tonight (career-high is only six), with the Giants looking to use his pace and creativity around the stoppages.
14:25
Melbourne has applied strong forward half pressure tonight. The Demons lead 16-9 in forward half tackles, including 7-1 in forward 50 tackles.
16:33
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
17:09
Melbourne has averaged 10.5 points from ten forward half clearances this season. Tonight the Demons have already won ten such clearances but only scored 0.3 from these opportunities.
21:27
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
21:35
Some more good forward pressure from the Demons (forward 50 tackles 10-1) contributed to the last goal to Charlie Spargo. The Giants have lost the clearance differential by nine per game this season (ranked last) and are currently trailing 17-23 in this count.
23:41
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
23:42
Giants Interchange - Brent Daniels off due to an injury.
23:50
The Demons recorded 68 shots at goal in the first two rounds, which was the most of any side. However, they recorded a shot at goal accuracy only of 34 percent (ranked 16th). This trend has continued tonight with Melbourne generating more shots at goal but also more inaccurate than its opposition.
26:06
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Xavier O'Halloran)
26:20
Harry Himmelberg has four score involvements from his six disposals tonight including an assist on the goal for Xavier O'Halloran. GWS now lead 19-6 in points scored from back half chains.
30:52
GWS leads 7-2 in one-on-one contest wins. Melbourne is ranked last at winning offensive one-on-one contests this season, with Max Gawn the only player to take a mark in such a contest.
32:03
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
32:06
Melbourne had the better of the second term, shading GWS for contested possessions (41-38), then controlling the ball by foot (marks 26-14) with a kicking efficiency of 67 percent compared to GWS 57 percent.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:11
Melbourne generated an inside 50 entry from 26 percent of defensive 50 chains in its first two games. In the first half tonight, the Demons were only able to generate one inside 50 entry from 17 such chains with fluent ball movement difficult.
00:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
00:36
Melbourne now has a 12-0 lead in points scored from centre bounce clearances. GWS has not kicked a goal this season from a centre bounce clearance.
05:03
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
05:42
A brilliant piece of play from Kysaiah Pickett gives the Demons their biggest lead of the game. Melbourne has kicked six of the last eight goals since quarter time, and leads the tackle count 9-1 this quarter.
07:13
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
07:44
Clayton Oliver has had seven kicks tonight, with all of them ineffective including three shots at goal. Oliver is ranked third among Demons for pressure tonight.
08:35
Giants Interchange - Matt de Boer and is possibly out for the game.
10:27
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
10:42
GWS continues to make the most of its forward half intercepts. Melbourne leads 24-12 in these intercepts, but the Giants lead 30-19 in points scored from this source.
12:57
The hard-running Ed Langdon has recorded a game-high 665 metres gained tonight, with no other play recording more than 450 metres gained. Langdon has also won seven intercepts and contributed a team-high 20 disposals.
14:40
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
14:57
Melbourne has a 7-3 edge in forward 50 marks, with the last goal to Max Gawn coming from one of these marks. The Demons recorded 18 forward 50 marks in the first two rounds (ranked No.1).
18:57
Melbourne not only leads the inside 50 count (42-31) but it also leads in forward 50 disposals (39-20) and forward 50 tackles (14-3), indicating the ball has spent much more time in the Demon forward 50.
22:18
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
22:37
The last goal to Bayley Fritsch was the first score of the night to the Demons to come from a chain that started in the defensive 50. With the tiring Giants having a number of injury concerns tonight, the ball movement options for the Demons may now open up.
24:33
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Jack Viney)
31:13
Melbourne again had the better of that quarter, edging the Giants for contested possession (36-30), having a major 19-11 advantage in inside 50 entries, and converting this on to the scoreboard (26-6).

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:12
The Giants have only once come from 18 points or more behind at three-quarter time to win a game, that was against Richmond in Round 9, 2017 when trailing by 25 points at the final change.
00:18
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
00:31
The perfect start to the final quarter for the Giants who kicked their first goal of the season to come from a centre bounce clearance.
02:01
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Toby Greene)
02:26
Five goals now to the ever-dangerous Toby Greene, who had kicked only six goals in 11 games against the Demons prior to this match.
04:30
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
06:44
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
07:07
A career-high three goals for Kysaiah Pickett who has been a big part of the Demons having a 26-12 lead in forward 50 contested possessions, which includes a 17-7 edge in ground balls.
09:57
In the first half, Melbourne generated one inside 50 entry from 17 defensive 50 chains, but in the second half the Demons have generated eight inside 50 entries from 14 such chains and scored 14 points from these opportunities with holes starting to open up in the Giant defence.
10:13
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Max Gawn)
13:19
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)
13:57
The highlight reel for Kysaiah Pickett continues to build with another terrific goal. Pickett has won a team-high five contested possessions in the forward 50 and had seven disposals in the forward 50 which includes his four goals.
16:26
GWS has won only 12 contested possessions in the forward 50 (Melbourne has 30), and Toby Greene has contributed six of these indicating the Giants forward line has been lacking other options tonight.
17:00
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)
17:56
Four goals in a row to the Demons with three of these goals coming from forward 50 chains as the Giant defence wears down. Melbourne now leads 32-14 in forward half intercepts and 31-30 in points scored from this source.
22:06
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)
23:52
Jake Lever has won an equal career-high 15 intercept possessions tonight including four intercept marks (Melbourne leads 17-11 in this count). The Demon defender has also contributed 21 disposals at 86 percent efficiency.
24:10
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Nathan Jones)
25:16
SCORE GOAL - Demons (James Jordon)
25:47
Max Gawn has again been pivotal tonight in a ruck-forward role. Gawn has had team-highs for score involvements (8) and contested marks (5), while also contributing 13 hit outs to advantage, seven clearances, and 13 contested possessions.
27:06
SCORE BEHIND - Giants (Toby Greene)
28:08
SCORE GOAL - Giants (Tom Green)
30:25
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Charlie Spargo)
31:39
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)
32:49
A strong win in the end for the Demons against an improved but undermanned Giant team. Melbourne dominated in forward half intercepts (37-15), forward half tackles (39-16), and forward 50 disposals (64-27) with Max Gawn again the top-ranked player on the ground.
32:50
The siren has sounded to end Q4.