1. Liberatore loss an opening round disaster
The gun midfielder was a crucial part of the Bulldogs' 2016 flag, and while he struggled last year and was dropped to the VFL, if they were to respond to last season's failures, Liberatore had to return to his best. The signs were all positive, with the onballer in good touch during the JLT Community Series, and his fitness and attitude both looked to be on point. He missed the entire 2015 season after having his left knee reconstructed, so being cut down with a similar injury to his right knee is nothing less than devastating. As if the Bulldogs' uncompetitive loss wasn't bad enough, they'll now have to regroup without one of their toughest midfielders.
2. Baffling selection from the Bulldogs
At a time when most sides are picking smaller line-ups, the visitors sprung a surprise at the selection table on Thursday night when they selected three big men in Jordan Roughead, Tim English and Jackson Trengove, and all three started on the ground against the Giants. In perfect conditions that seemed a mistake, but on a windy day it seemed like lunacy. Trengove didn't touch the footy in the first half and gathered just four handballs for the game, Roughead had no influence beyond two goals, and while English showed some promising signs in the air at times, the three ruckmen made the Dogs look top heavy and slow. Throw in the continued failed experiment of using star defender Easton Wood as a forward – he finished the day with just seven possessions – and it was a disastrous start to the year for Luke Beveridge and his coaching team.
WATCH: Dominant mids feed Cameron's frenzy
3. Has the retirement of Shane Mumford made the Giants more dangerous?
The simple answer is probably no, but longer term it might be yes. The move of Rory Lobb into the ruck has forced GWS to play a more mobile forward line, and that has increased the side's defensive pressure. Jeremy Cameron (six goals), Toby Greene (four) and Jon Patton (two) had a field day in the wide open forward 50, with Harry Himmelberg, debutant Zac Langdon, Daniel Lloyd and Matt de Boer bringing the tackling pressure the team lacked last season. Cameron, Patton and Greene are a potent trio at the best of times and the extra turnovers created by the Giants certainly gave them more opportunities to hit the scoreboard. If they can lock the footy inside their forward half more often, which was a major issue last year, the GWS forward group looks even more scary.
4. Even without Williams and Wilson, the Giants are lethal off half back
When Nathan Wilson left for Fremantle last year and Zac Williams went down with a ruptured Achilles during the pre-season, many wondered how the Giants would cope with the loss. Those fears have been laid to rest thanks to the form of Lachie Whitfield and Jeremy Finlayson. The pair starred in the JLT Community Series and continued their dominance against the struggling Bulldogs, with their disposal by foot outstanding. Whitfield uses the footy brilliantly on both sides of his body, while Finlayson, in just his second game, has a long left leg that finds targets at will for the Giants. Whitfield finished with a game-high 34 disposals at 85 per cent efficiency against the Dogs and uses his massive tank to give his side enormous run, while Finlayson had 20 touches at a remarkable 95 per cent efficiency.
5. Canberra continues to be a fortress for GWS
Going into the match, the Giants had won six in a row in Canberra since their loss to Geelong in round 17, 2015, and after belting the Dogs there's little doubt that they enjoy playing in the nation's capital. They're unable to play at Spotless Stadium for the first five weeks of the season because of the Easter Show in Sydney, and while the Giants travel for four of their first five games, the players have embraced their second home. The deck at UNSW Canberra Oval is like a bowling green and is perfectly suited to the Giants' style of play, and the ground has become a huge weapon for Leon Cameron's men.
