Leon Cameron remains unsure if his side has drawn any closer to the Sydney Swans after another SCG loss to their cross-town rivals on Saturday night.
It was the home side's eighth win from nine Sydney derbies, with the Swans proving too good in the game's biggest moments to win by 25 points.
The GIANTS looked superior at times during the second quarter when their run and carry left the Swans lagging, but unfortunately for Cameron's men the exciting times were overshadowed by large periods of poor ball use and decision-making.
Cameron said after the loss that it's clear the GIANTS still have plenty of work to do.
"I think we're making some ground which is positive, but you've got to make ground for 120 minutes, and our boys clearly know that there were patches throughout the game that we didn't deliver," he said.
"Our pressure can't be on for five minutes out of six, it's got to be on for six minutes, and the Swans have got this ability to keep on keeping on.
"They're amazing at getting their hands free from a tackle, and standing tall in the tackle, and we need to get to that level.
"It's just practice and practice and practice and that's what we'll continue to do. It's like anything, you find the players that can keep on delivering on that, and the ones that can't fall by the wayside.
"Sydney have a set of standards that they live by every time they play and that’s why they are clearly a top-four side again, and those people that wrote them off at the start of the year are probably thinking twice."
The GIANTS lacked targets inside their front half, with big men Jon Patton and Rory Lobb well held by Swans' veterans Heath Grundy and Ted Richards.
The GWS pair took just five marks and had seven touches each for the night, with the inconsistent Will Hoskin-Elliott hardly seen.
With star Jeremy Cameron suspended and Cam McCarthy still in Western Australia on personal leave, GWS have kicked just 33 goals from their first three matches this season.
Despite the lack of output from Patton – who did manage to kick two goals against the Swans - and Lobb in particular, Cameron said he'd remain patient with the duo.
"Our forwards would be disappointed with their game," Cameron said.
"I know we've got some young forwards down there trying to carve out their way in this AFL game, and when you come up against a really experienced backline like the Sydney Swans, you're going to earn every kick.
"Our boys certainly found that out tonight."
Key defender Aidan Corr rolled his left ankle in the opening quarter, but came back on after receiving treatment during the first break and should be right to face Port Adelaide next week.
Fellow backman Matt Buntine (hamstring) was a late withdrawal from the Derby after he pulled up sore from training on Friday, but remains a chance to return against the Power in Canberra next Sunday.
