The GIANTS have consolidated a spot inside the top four with an unattractive yet much-needed 12-point win over Fremantle on Saturday.
The GIANTS looked anything like premiership contenders for the first three quarters in an error-riddled contest, but clicked into gear early in the final term and held off the plucky Dockers 13.20 (98) to 13.8 (86) at Spotless Stadium.
Vice-captain Stephen Coniglio showed his importance to the home side in his return game with 27 possessions, nine clearances and six tackles, with Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel also influential midfielders, especially in the tense closing stages.
GIANTS coach Leon Cameron acknowledged his side's victory was "ugly at times" and said that while he was confident his team could continue to get better, he couldn't put a figure on how much more they can improve this year.
"It's the million dollar question," he said after the match.
"There's no doubt that to compete with Adelaide, Geelong, Port (Adelaide), Richmond, Melbourne and so on, and I've probably missed a couple, we need to improve.
"If we don't we'll lose by the three or four-goal margin like we've been doing the last few weeks.
"I'm really confident that we can get there and find that improvement we're looking for, we've got to be smarter in the way that we play though."
Dockers captain Nat Fyfe finished with 31 touches and two goals, Lachie Neale gathered 30 disposals, while defender Luke Ryan was impressive with 25 possessions and 14 marks.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon took plenty of positives from the defeat.
"I thought in the first three quarters, we clearly improved," he said.
"The way we set the field up, moved the ball, defended pretty well.
"I thought at three-quarter time we ticked all those boxes and in the last quarter we couldn't get it done around the ball, in particular the centre square bounces."
The GIANTS looked like running away with the game when they kicked three goals in a row either side of the first change to lead by 14 points, but three first half goals to Fremantle forward Shane Kersten kept the visitors in touch, after they lost Connor Blakely for the game when he dislocated his shoulder twice before half time.
With Fyfe able to lose his tag Matthew Kennedy and have an influence around stoppages, Fremantle dominated the third quarter with five goals to two, on the back of their hard work to win the clearances 11-4, which included a 6-1 advantage in the centre square, and the contested possession count 34-26.
A goal after the three-quarter-time siren for veteran Mundy put his side 15 points up, but the GIANTS returned for the last term with a more attacking mindset, and with Coniglio outstanding in tight, and the likes of Shiel, Devon Smith and Tom Scully busy, they piled on four quick goals.
The Dockers answered with two of their own to make it a three-point game at the 24 minute mark before Kelly sealed the result, his side's first win since round 14, with a class finish from deep in the left forward pocket.
MEDICAL ROOM
GIANTS: draftee Will Setterfield will need to be monitored after he copped a heavy tackle in the third term. He came off with the help of trainers and although he returned to the field, he was taken to the rooms before three-quarter-time and didn't return.
Fremantle: young midfielder Connor Blakely must be in doubt for next week after he dislocated his left shoulder in the first term. He got it strapped and returned before quarter time, but when it popped out again midway through the second term, he headed for the rooms with the club doctors and was done for the day.
NEXT UP
The Giants travel to Canberra for a home clash with Melbourne on Saturday afternoon, while the Dockers head back to Perth to welcome the Suns to Domain Stadium on Saturday night.
GIANTS 3.5 6.7 8.11 13.20 (98)
FREMANTLE 3.3 6.6 11.8 13.8 (86)
GOALS
GIANTS: Kennedy 2, Lobb 2, Patton 2, Scully, Cameron, Whitfield, De Boer, Haynes, Smith, Kelly
Fremantle: Kersten 3, Grey 2, Fyfe 2, B Hill, Suban, Hughes, Mundy, Ballantyne, Tucker
BEST
GANTS: Coniglio, Haynes, Kelly, Shiel, Whitfield, Simpson
Fremantle: Fyfe, Neale, Kersten, S Hill, Ryan, Tucker
INJURIES
GIANTS: Setterfield (concussion)
Fremantle: Blakely (shoulder)
Umpires: Nicholls, Schmitt, Wallace
Official crowd: 11,233
