EVERY club had a chance in last year's mid-season draft to make amends for previously overlooking Jake Riccardi.

Instead, Riccardi missed out again and had to continue his redemption story at VFL club Werribee – eventually winning the competition's most promising player award.

Greater Western Sydney was wise enough not to ignore him again, finally giving the 20-year-old key forward his shot in the NAB AFL Draft last November.

With the GIANTS' season on the line at Optus Stadium on Saturday, it was Riccardi who was one of the stars in just his second game.

After taking 10 marks and kicking two goals on debut last week, he was even better against Fremantle with nine more grabs and four majors to help GWS record a 38-point triumph.

Defender Lachie Whitfield (31 disposals, nine intercept possessions) was arguably the only player better than Riccardi in a tremendous 14.7 (91) to 8.5 (53) triumph that propels the Giants back inside the top eight.

DOCKERS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats 

It was a timely percentage-booster, with GWS improving from 96.8 to 101.8 to leapfrog the Western Bulldogs into eighth spot.

Back-to-back David Mundy goals in the first five minutes of the second half slashed the Dockers' deficit to 14 points, only for the visitors to kick five of the next six to put the game away by three-quarter time.

Riccardi kicked three of those GIANTS majors, before Jeremy Cameron joined the party with his third and fourth goals to kick off the final term.

Tim Taranto (25, five clearances), Steve Coniglio (24, three) and veteran big man Shane Mumford (game-high six clearances) were critical to GWS's clearance dominance, particularly early in the match.

They were even more important once Josh Kelly's strong start came to an end on the tick of half-time, when Mumford's knee accidentally clipped him in the head.

Mundy (20) was Freo's top contributor, but with Matt de Boer quelling captain Nat Fyfe's influence, there was too much left to Andrew Brayshaw (24) and Adam Cerra (23).