1. Is Rory Lobb the tallest wingman ever?
Leon Cameron sprung a surprise against the Blues when his 206cm tall forward and back-up ruckman started the match on centre wing opposed to Ed Curnow. Lobb towered over the Carlton midfielder and, while the match-up didn’t last too long, the GIANT had a presence in his new role, especially at stoppages as a third man up. The Blues seemed to be thrown by the tactic and were desperate to keep Lobb from jumping over the ruck contests, with his various opponents so preoccupied with stopping his run that they often forget about the footy. Lobb didn’t exactly look like the GWS version of star Cat Mark Blicavs, but with his versatility and athleticism, he might find himself used in the role more often this season.
2. All Australian defender shackled
GIANTS’ running backman Heath Shaw might already have his name on a second All Australian jacket, and while most opposition teams haven’t bothered to try and limit his impact on games, Carlton coach Brendon Bolton had other ideas. The Blues used Simon White as a defensive forward on the League’s leading kick-getter and the West Australian played his role to perfection, taking the reigning GWS club champion deep to the goalsquare as often as he could. Shaw had just one kick in the first quarter, and finished with 12 possessions for the match, his lowest return since round 15, 2014. White finished off his quality night with a goal in the last quarter and added 17 touches and eight marks.
3. League boss not worried about Spotless crowds
No one should be surprised that AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan thinks everything is going A-OK at GWS, and for those in Melbourne who see small crowds at the GIANTS’ home games as a problem, with 10,355 at Spotless Stadium on Saturday, the League boss presented a quick reality check during a chat at the chairman’s function before the game. “The Melbourne media and other people might expect to have the crowds that you have in Melbourne,” McLachlan said. “But these clubs, many of them, are 150 years old. We’re in a diverse market, with a lot of competing products, but I think we’ve got a great group of people in the club, we’ve got a great football team, the culture’s strong and they’re building exactly as we’d like.”
4. GWS' past players watch
The Blues sent a minibus up to Sydney after last year’s trade period to ferry four GIANTS back to the club, but the four ex-GWS players didn’t make much of an impression in their first trip back to Spotless Stadium. Lachie Plowman was a serviceable defender under enormous pressure as the GIANTS tallied 65 inside 50s, but small forwards Jed Lamb and Liam Sumner struggled to have any impact with just 20 possessions and zero goals between them. Second-string ruckman Andrew Phillips gave a contest when he was on the ball to give Matthew Kreuzer a rest, but he was well beaten by GIANTS Shane Mumford and Rory Lobb, and had no influence around the ground. In all, a dark homecoming for the former GIANTS and the Blues.
5. Coniglio v Gibbs
Two of the competition’s best midfielders in 2016 went head to head in a rare one-on-one battle that lasted for most of the match. The GIANT started brilliantly and had 13 first term touches, but after the quarter-time break, the Blues’ 200-gamer gave his side plenty of drive and worked his way into the game. Coniglio had 31 possessions for the night, 12 of them contested, kicked a goal and laid six tackles, while Gibbs racked up 29 disposals, 14 of them contested, 10 clearances and nine tackles. It was a fantastic old fashioned midfield battle with honours just about even, but given Coniglio’s disposals hurt the Blues more significantly than his opponent’s, and his side had a thumping win, the GIANT takes the votes this time. 
