Lachlan Hansen has enjoyed a football rebirth since moving to defence in round seven against the Western Bulldogs. Although he's had success as a key forward in previous seasons, Hansen kicked just five goals in this season's first four rounds and looked devoid of confidence by the time he was forced out of North's team with a knee injury. But since returning against the Bulldogs Hansen has looked a different player in the Roos' defensive half. He continued his good form against the Giants, regularly flying across as the third man up to thwart Giants' attacks. The No. 3 2006 draft pick finished with a game-high 13 marks (four contested) and after 90 games is beginning to reward the Roos' faith.

After the Roos' rampant eight-goal first quarter the Giants tried something completely different, bolstering their backline with four loose men. Predictably, it made it harder for the Roos to hit their forwards on the lead as they had done so often in the first term. The radical tactic left the Giants with just two forwards – and sometimes one – but somehow they managed to match the Roos' four goals in the second term. The highlight came when Will Hoskin-Elliott intercepted a Brad McKenzie kick just behind the centre circle late in the second term. Turning on the afterburners, the young Giant exploded into his team's empty forward 50, taking four bounces as he left Scott Thompson in his wake to goal from point-blank range. However, eventually the Giants' defensive mindset took a toll, with the second-year team managing just one goal in the second half.

North welcomed Robbie Tarrant back on Sunday for his first game since round three. The key forward earned a recall after playing just three quarters in the VFL last week after finally overcoming a bruised nerve in his lower leg. Tarrant made a fast start against GWS, taking three marks (one contested) and kicking 1.2 in the first 13 minutes. Not surprisingly, Tarrant faded from the game after that, although he was not helped by the Giants' flooding tactics after quarter-time. Tarrant finished with 13 possessions, five marks and 1.2.

After being the third highest scoring team in the first 10 rounds, the Roos had managed just seven goals in their previous seven quarters leading into Sunday's game. It took them little more than 26 minutes to better that tally against the Giants. The Roos carved the Giants up in the first term on Sunday with precise short passing and pinpoint delivery to their forwards. Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas were the main beneficiaries, each heading in to the quarter-time break with three majors alongside their name.

Is GWS set to relieve Fitzroy of its title as the last team to go through a VFL/AFL season without winning a game? The Lions went winless in 1964, when the home and away season consisted of 18 rounds, but the Giants could be about to replicate that feat this season. GWS has not won since round 19 last year, against Port Adelaide, one of two wins in their debut AFL season. The Giants' closest losing margin this season has been 30 points in round one against the Sydney Swans. The Giants' best chances of breaking their 2013 duck will come against the 

Western Bulldogs next round (StarTrack Oval, Canberra), Melbourne in round 19 (Skoda Stadium) and Gold Coast in round 23 (Metricon Stadium).