Greater Western Sydney broke its duck at the MCG at its seventh attempt at the home of football. It was a landmark achievement for the expansion club and good reward for some good performances against good opposition in 2014. The Giants had beaten the Sydney Swans and lost by just seven points against Hawthorn and Geelong so it was no surprise it took Melbourne apart during the second and third quarters. Given it lost Jonathon Patton, Phil Davis and Callan Ward before half-time it was a meritorious performance. The win was the Giants' eight victory in three years and fifth in 2014. They moved above Melbourne on the ladder and shows they are on the right track.

A hush descended on the MCG when the No. 1 pick from the 2011 NAB AFL Draft fell to the ground and clutched his knee after a marking contest in the second quarter. Patton has already undergone a knee reconstruction on his right knee – in 2013 – but was showing his enormous talent in 18 games in 2014. The 21-year-old is contracted at the Giants until the end of 2015 but he has been in great demand among other clubs looking for a key forward and it was reported during the week that the Western Bulldogs were chasing him. The 21-year-old was sent immediately for scans and football supporters everywhere had fingers crossed that the injury would be not as bad as feared.

 

From the 24th minute mark of the first quarter until the fourth minute mark of the last quarter, Melbourne failed to score a goal. It was indecisive going forward and put little pressure on the opposition. The Demons have not scored more than five goals in six games this season and at three-quarter time the supporters made their feelings known, booing the players as they went to the huddle. Paul Roos moved Lynden Dunn forward after half-time and pushed James Frawley back but it made little difference in the third quarter. At three-quarter time the Giants had 41 more disposals and four more tackles than Melbourne. The Giants kicked nine goals in succession until Colin Garland marked and kicked truly at the four-minute mark of the final quarter to bring the team to its eventual tally of three goals for the game. Only 17,218 turned up and Melbourne has now lost three in succession to the Giants and took a step backwards.

 

Melbourne has nowhere near the talent at its disposal compared to the Giants and that fact became painfully obvious as the expansion club ran rings around the Demons. Josh Kelly, Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Devon Smith exposed Melbourne's lack of depth and lack of pace in the midfield. Giants ruckman Shane Mumford played with heart and thrashed Melbourne's Mark Jamar. Poor Nathan Jones tried to create but he could not do it on his own. Melbourne has not made the finals since 2006 and has won just 10 games in three seasons. It kicked three goals against the second worst points against team for 2014, managing to kick five goals or fewer for the sixth time this season. If ever a team had a case for a priority pick it is the Demons. If they don't receive one, which they probably won't given the problems seem bigger than one extra pick could solve, then the priority pick is effectively dead.

 

The Pies overlooked potential father-son pick James Stewart in last year's NAB AFL Draft. Greater Western Sydney took a chance on the son of Craig (who played 115 games for Collingwood and 35 for Richmond) using pick No.27 to select him. After making his AFL debut in round 23 last year, Stewart played his first game for 2014, entering the game midway through the second quarter and kicked a point with his first kick. He looked lively and joined Collingwood premiership player Heath Shaw as two sons of former Magpies teammates to play for the Giants.