If part of a team's development comes in winning the games it should, then the GIANTS showed on Friday night they are ready for what lies ahead in season 2015.

Against an understrength and largely underprepared Essendon line-up at Spotless Stadium, the GIANTS won the first three quarters, continued to try new things, and ran out 45-point victors in their second NAB Challenge match. 

Despite the introduction of a handful of senior-listed Bombers to the side that played in Morwell last week, the GIANTS were too strong and did exactly what was expected of a side that, heading into its fourth AFL season, expects plenty of itself.

Although pre-season contests can invariably be taken with little significance – particularly ones involving Essendon this year – the GIANTS showed their scoring power in the 0.14.13 (97) to 0.8.4 (52) win.

In an imposing showing, the GIANTS at times had four talls inside their forward-50: a rotation involving ruckman Shane Mumford, the athletic Adam Tomlinson, straight-kicking Cam McCarthy, developing James Stewart and star Jeremy Cameron.

"Everyone's keen, spots are really tight. So for everyone to step in and play their role, it just shows they're really hungry," coach Leon Cameron said of his team.

"To kick 10 goals in the first half of a shortened game was really pleasing, and we've got a lot of decisions to make about who's going to roll out next week for the starting [team]."

Jeremy Cameron was perhaps the only lowlight of the night for the GIANTS, after he was substituted out of the game in the second half with concussion. Close to the main break, the All Australian forward won a free kick after a heavy tackle, but in the process he was collected in the jaw.

The 21-year-old lined up and slotted his shot from the 50-metre line, but did not return after half-time after undergoing a concussion test.

Although the addition of a handful of senior players – including stand-in captain Brendon Goddard, midfielder David Zaharakis and recruit Adam Cooney – boosted Essendon's team, James Hird's men were unable to keep up with the hard-running and slick GIANTS.

With nearly half of the club's list unavailable as it awaits the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal's verdict, the Bombers struggled for fluency when moving the ball into attack and their inexperienced backline was under the pump throughout the contest.

The Bombers were more competitive in the third term, when they kicked four goals, but the absence of many key midfielders made it difficult at the stoppages, where the GIANTS took control.

Essendon could manage only 26 clearances to 43, and sent the ball inside 50 about half the amount of times of the GIANTS (55 to 30). 

"I thought that we got beaten in the contested ball through the stoppages and centre of the ground early in the game and I think our guys lost a fair bit of confidence in their ability to move the ball after that," coach James Hird said after the game.

"But to their credit after half-time I think we played a lot better."

Of the standouts for the Bombers, youngster Jason Ashby again gave solid drive off half-back, Zach Merrett showed his shift into the midfield will be a near permanent role, and Kyle Langford did enough in glimpses to excite Essendon supporters about his future in the forward half.

Joe Daniher kicked two goals and competed hard in the forward line, but was reported for striking after a late attempt at spoiling a mark in the fourth term.

He collected GIANTS co-captain Phil Davis on the head, although the impact looked minimal.

"It's hard for me to comment. You're watching it live and you're not really sure," Hird said.

"Obviously [I] didn't think there was a lot in it, but he's been reported and we'll deal with that during the week and hopefully there's not a lot in it and he gets to play round one."

WHAT WE LEARNED

Stephen Coniglio might be about to hit his straps. Although the GIANTS would have entered the game feeling good about their chances against the makeshift Bombers outfit, they still needed to get the job done. For Coniglio it was a chance to ramp up his preparations for the regular season after an injury-interrupted 2014. The speedy midfielder dominated through the midfield and finished with 19 disposals and a goal.  

NEW FACES

Jake Barrett played his first game for the club after missing out last year and started as the substitute. The midfielder came on in the third quarter and got a taste for things with five disposals. Jack Steele again showed he seems a likely senior player in his first season after kicking two goals from 11 disposals and using his size and skill through the wing. The 19-year-old already shapes as a draft bargain after the GIANTS secured him as an academy player with pick 24 at last year's NAB AFL Draft.

GWS                  0.5.3     0.10.6     0.14.9   0.14.13  (97)                  

ESSENDON       0.1.0     0.2.2        0.6.3      0.8.4  (52)         

SUPERGOALS


Greater Western Sydney: Nil

Essendon: Nil

GOALS


Greater Western Sydney: McCarthy 3, Lamb, Palmer, Steele 2, Cameron, Coniglio, Smith, Stewart, Tomlinson

Essendon: Daniher, Langford 2, Ambrose, Ashby, Jones, Petrenko

BEST 


Greater Western Sydney: Shaw, Treloar, Greene, Coniglio, McCarthy, Whitfield

Essendon: Dalgleish, Gwilt, Ashby, Cooney, Brown, Daniher

INJURIES


Greater Western Sydney: Jeremy Cameron (concussion)

Essendon: Nil

SUBSTITUTES


Greater Western Sydney: Tom Downie replaced Jeremy Cameron in the third quarter; Jake Barrett replaced Shane Mumford in the third quarter.

Essendon: Orazio Fantasia replaced Shaun McKernan in the third quarter; James Magner replaced Mitch Clisby in the fourth quarter

Reports: Joe Daniher (Essendon) reported for striking Phil Davis (GWS) in the fourth quarter