Each side had their tactical wins, but the Hawks ultimately denied the Giants the run and carry they craved.

The Hawks adjusted in the third term, highlighting why coach Sam Mitchell is considered one of the best in the business. Buckley had questioned why their defenders had been lining up “back shoulder” to their opponents, leaving too much room through the midfield for the Giants to dominate, as prime movers Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield did with the use of the breeze.

However, come the third term, the Hawks largely clogged the midfield, and the Giants lost their drive. Despite kicking into the wind, the Hawks, looking to handball more, booted four goals to two, and extended their lead to 20 points by the final break.

“We saw the breeze coming in, I thought our boys fought hard,” Watson said.

“It was a bit of an adjustment. Us forwards had to get moving. We were a bit slack in that first quarter, so it was a bit of an adjustment. We just needed energy. We definitely brought that.”

There was a moment of exhilaration from Watson when the man nicknamed the Wizard cheekily “showed”, as Hawks great Jordan Lewis described it, the ball at a trailing Whitfield before burning off his opponent and finding a leading Blake Hardwick. The latter duly converted.

The diminutive Watson also won free kicks for high tackles.

“About time, I have missed a few in the past. Thanks to the umps for giving to me,” Watson said cheekily.

Hardwick was magnificent all night, whether playing as a small forward, or as a spare man marshalling his teammates in defence. Cam McKenzie was another to shine, Josh Weddle was his typically robust self and had five intercept marks, Finn Maginness returned to his role as a blue-chip tagger, while Day delivered an exhilarating burst from a stoppage to drill a 60-metre goal as part of his overall superb midfield effort.

The decision to have Jack Gunston play as a defensive forward on Giants’ interceptor Sam Taylor was a masterstroke, Gunston booting two goals.

“It was a tough – he (Taylor) can take a grab leading up, he can drop off (and mark),” Gunston said of his task.

For the Giants, master tagger Toby Bedford largely had the better of Jai Newcombe, while Whitfield, Lachie Ash and Tom Green had plenty of the ball. Skipper Toby Greene, with two goals and 19 disposals, was also active, so was Hogan in his first game this season since breaking his thumb in a door of the team bus, but they couldn’t will their team across the line as they experienced their first loss of the season.

HAWTHORN 0.2 6.10 10.12 10.16 (76)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 5.7 5.9 7.10 9.10 (64)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Gunston 2, Day, Meek, Weddle, Newcombe, Watson, Moore, Morrison, Hardwick
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan 4, Greene 2, Bedford 2, Cadman

BEST
Hawthorn: Day, Mackenzie, Watson, Day, Weddle, Hardwick, Maginness
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan, Whitfield, Green, Greene, Ash

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Greater Western Sydney: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Hawthorn: Luke Breust (replaced Mabior Chol in the fourth quarter)
Greater Western Sydney: Jacob Wehr (replaced Callan Ward at three-quarter time)

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