GREATER Western Sydney has pulled off a remarkable comeback to defeat Hawthorn by two points on Sunday afternoon.

A seven-goal final quarter propelled the Giants to the 12.12 (84) to 12.10 (82) win at Manuka Oval in Canberra, with the match-winner coming off the boot of local Tom Green.

Jesse Hogan's five goals have sent him back to the top of the Coleman Medal leaderboard, and captain Toby Greene (17 disposals, three goals) stood up when it mattered.

Over the first three quarters, the Giants were forced into slow, careful ball movement in an attempt to retain possession, which took away its best asset; aggressive overlap run. They struggled to find possession deep inside 50, often playing right into the hands of Sam Frost and Blake Hardwick.

GIANTS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

This was a result of Hawthorn's disciplined defensive set-up, and relentless pressure.

But the Giants threw off the shackles in the last quarter, putting the foot down and injecting speed into their game, to devastating effect on the scoreboard. They kicked the first three goals of the final term and continued to gather momentum as the minutes passed.

Early on it seemed that Hogan's personal best of nine goals was in danger, with the forward kicking the opening goal within a minute, then setting up two of the Giants' next three scores. While he faded a little during the middle two quarters, he was back to his best when it counted most.

Brent Daniels (23 disposals, one goal) was another who came to the fore late, spending some time at the contest, and powering forward to hit the scoreboard to record a 12-disposal final quarter. Meanwhile, Lachie Whitfield (37 disposals, 10 marks) was a consistent presence for the Giants all day.

It was a remarkable comeback from those in orange, who were on the back foot, down by as much as 28 points.

Hawthorn's outside run was game-breaking, with Josh Weddle (14 disposals, one goal) and Massimo D'Ambrosio (22 disposals, two goals) the architects, while Jai Newcombe (30 disposals, 11 clearances) was in total control at stoppages.

Nick Watson's impact without the ball was enormous, setting the pressure standard for Hawthorn inside 50, while talls Jack Gunston (four goals) and Mabior Chol (two goals) wreaked havoc on a typically organised Giants defence.

Both worked to disrupt star Giant Sam Taylor, forcing mismatches or outnumbers and freeing up fellow Hawks to have a clean run at the footy.

With the win, the Giants move into third place on the ladder, preparing for a genuine tilt in September.

Jesse moves to the top
With his five goals against the Hawks, Jesse Hogan moved ahead of Charlie Curnow to be the outright leader in the Coleman Medal race. Hogan has now kicked at least four goals in eight games this season, including each of his last five games. He is the Giants' north star, often fighting as the club's only avenue to goal, and has proven himself to be ultra-reliable in the face of massive pressure.

Pickup of the season
One of the last moves in November's player movement period, winger Massimo D'Ambrosio has been a golden get for Hawthorn. His running capacity on the wing has been crucial to the Hawks' late season surge, but even more impressive is his elite kicking going inside 50. His foot skills are reliable and predictable, repeatedly setting up his teammates in dangerous positions on Sunday afternoon, while he also doing some damage on the scoreboard himself with two goals.

A Giant midfield concern
The Giants' midfield group, albeit without key playmakers Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio, was simply outplayed by the Hawthorn contingent of Jai Newcombe, James Worpel, and Conor Nash. After the Hawks recorded the first eight centre clearances, GWS coach Adam Kingsley was forced to inject Toby Greene and Brent Daniels into the contest in an attempt to find a modicum of control. GWS went on to win the clearance count 36-35, but were bested at the reset 8-16.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY              1.6     3.9     5.11    12.12 (84)
HAWTHORN                                          4.3     7.5    10.9     12.10 (82)

GOALS 
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan 5, Greene 3, Cadman, Jones, Daniels, Green
Hawthorn: Gunston 4, D'Ambrosio 2, Chol 2, Moore, Weddle, Macdonald, Breust

BEST 
Greater Western Sydney: Hogan, Whitfield, Green, Greene, Daniels
Hawthorn: Moore, D'Ambrosio, Newcombe, Weddle, Meek

INJURIES 
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil

SUBSTITUTES 
Greater Western Sydney: Joe Fonti (replaced Max Gruzewski in the third quarter)
Hawthorn: Luke Breust (replaced Calsher Dear in the third quarter)

Crowd: 13,268 at Manuka Oval