Toby Greene produced a series of magic touches to fire GWS to a valuable 28-point AFL win over plucky North Melbourne in Hobart.
The skipper stepped up in the third quarter with the game on the line, kicking a brace of goals including a soccer-style volley in the square off a Stephen Coniglio kick.
Ahead 47-42 at halftime, the Giants put on a five-goals-to-two third term before finishing 15.13 (103) to 11.9 (75) winners at Blundstone Arena on Sunday.
The result moves GWS, who have had several close losses this year, to 5-8 for the season and two wins outside the top eight.
Greene, who had 24 disposals and five clearances, slotted three goals for the second week in a row after almost lifting his side over Richmond last round.
“It’s just stock Toby isn’t it? Run of the mill,” GWS coach Adam Kingsley said of Greene’s second goal.
“To be able to think his way through that situation. He’s wrapped up in a contest and toe-pokes a goal from a metre.
“You need those match winners in your front half to be able to turn half chances into goals and that’s what he did a couple of times.”
Kinglsey said the injured Sam Taylor, Isaac Cumming, Josh Kelly and Jacob Wehr would likely be available for selection against Fremantle next round ahead of the club’s round 15 bye.
“It’s an opportunity to start building the season and see if we can make a play for the pointy end,” he said.
“We’re a little way off that at the moment but if we can generate a win next week through playing the right way. Who knows?”
Callum Brown also had three goals, including two late in the first quarter to put a dampener on a positive North Melbourne start.
Jake Riccardi picked up a crucial major for GWS from a 50-metre penalty in the third quarter after North Melbourne’s Ben McKay batted the ball away following a mark.
The Kangaroos, without co-captain Jy Simpkin and experienced midfielder Hugh Greenwood, were right in the contest in the first two quarters.
They’ve now lost 11 straight but have been more competitive in their four games under caretaker coach Brett Ratten.
“Post-halftime we were a little bit flat. We didn’t have the same energy we did in the first half,” Ratten said.
Nick Larkey was among the Kangaroos’ best with a game-high four goals, while George Wardlaw had some more eye-catching moments in just his fourth game.
The tenacious 19-year-old kicked his first career goal, topped the tackle count with nine, and had 22 disposals.
North Melbourne’s Tarryn Thomas had several quality involvements in the second quarter, picking up two goals to eat into the Giants’ lead before finishing with three in total.
It was his second game back in the AFL after being stood down by the club for a second time in March amid concerns over his behaviour towards women
