1. Spotless the Hawks' bogy ground
It was Oscar Wilde who said ‘to err once is human, to err twice is careless’, and the Hawks displayed carelessness in spades at a ground where they lost to the GIANTS last year after letting an early lead slip. Kick-outs from a behind missed their targets, possession was too easily given up when under little pressure and marks were inexplicably dropped. And the GIANTS punished every uncharacteristic error to maintain their unbeaten record at their home ground against the three-time defending premiers.
2. Steve Johnson turns back the clock
Maybe it takes a three-time premiership player to beat a three-time premiership team. The 32-year-old Johnson was at his very best on Saturday afternoon, snapping goals from the boundary line, booting them through the big sticks from distance and finding himself in the right place at the right time to take advantage of every half-chance to have five goals by half-time. However, with the good also comes the bad, with Johnson costing the team a goal in the third term when he scuffled with Hawks captain Luke Hodge, resulting in two 50m penalties and an easy goal.
3. GIANTS break records, announce themselves as bona fide contenders
In front of 13,766 fans, the home side turned in their best performance of the season, and possibly the club's history, posting its highest-ever score. The 24.14 (158) eclipsed the 22.19 it posted against Port Adelaide two weeks earlier. It was a thorough dismantling of a Hawks outfit that has shown itself more than capable of contending again in 2016, having come into the game with four wins on the trot. But it was barely a contest after quarter-time.
4. Lobb dominates alongside Cameron and Patton
The Giants started the match with Jeremy Cameron, Jonathon Patton and Rory Lobb inside the forward 50m arc. And Lobb, as the notional third tall, proved a bridge too far for Hawthorn who had no answer to the big man's powerful marking. The 206cm Lobb towered over 193cm Tim O'Brien, who was on the GIANTS player for a fair bit of the contest. Lobb finished with 10 marks, four goals and 16 touches.
5. No Griffen, no problems
Although not unexpected, Ryan Griffen was withdrawn before the game after failing to recover from a back injury suffered at training during the week. He was replaced by Nick Haynes, who had a good match in what was a dominant GIANTS midfield performance where the home side won the clearances 47-29, and finished ahead 153-114 in contested possessions.
