SOON after its 113-point loss to Richmond in round 10, Greater Western Sydney must have faced an awful reality.

 

In just eight days it faced Hawthorn at the MCG

 

The Giants’ average losing margin in two previous games against the reigning premier was 122 points.

 

Senior coach Leon Cameron – a former assistant at Hawthorn – relayed to the media the same message he'd given his players: the club's character was about to be challenged.

 

Somehow it had to rediscover the art of winning one-on-one contests.

 

Cameron knew what needed to be done. Whether it could be done in the time available did not bear thinking about.   

 

Contested ball became a massive focus. Tackling once again became priority number one. And the Giants’ runners were reminded of the importance of repeatedly running forward and back.

 

Along the way some significant positional changes were made that restored balance to the line-up.

 

Three weeks on, with some nervous moments in between, the numbers show that when the Giants' character was tested, they responded.

 

As far as future prospects go, that is the best message the Giants could send.

 

The turnaround began with an unlucky seven-point loss to the defending premiers. Then GWS pushed Essendon all the way in a 15-point loss before franking its form with a 45-point win over the Brisbane Lions, its first win away from home and its biggest margin in victory.

 

What happened?

 

"First of all we just needed to get the footy at the source so we have had a massive focus on contested ball," Lachie Whitfield told AFL.com.au. 

 

The Giants won the contested possession count against Hawthorn and the Brisbane Lions after being obliterated in that measure against Richmond.

 

After focusing on tackling over summer and performing well early in the season, the shackles had fallen loose.  

 

Blind Freddy could see the result.

 

"Our tackles went down, our performance went down," Whitfield said.

 

Since round 11, the Giants have led the competition in the tackling differential.

 

They have laid 238 tackles in the past three games: their average of 79.3 tackles per week is well above the competition average of 67.1 tackles a game. They tackled Hawthorn more than 100 times.

 

Kicking became more of a feature of the Giants’ game too as they became determined to gain metres when in possession, moving forward quickly. When GWS was under pressure it wanted to surge the ball forward, scratching for space.

 

The Giants have had more kicks than any other team in the past three rounds and their kick to handball ratio is number one. 

 

This was more a result of the defensive efforts providing them with space rather than any specific plan to kick more according to Whitfield, but it is having an effect, placing the Giants back in the top eight for inside 50 differentials.

 

The team is creating more forward stoppages and only one team has scored more points from forward stoppages than the Giants in the past three rounds.

 

Whitfield and Tom Scully were also moved to a wing, two number one picks running up and back and up and back to support teammates in attack and defence. It is a situation most clubs envy.

 

Cameron made the assessment they could serve the side well in those roles – after Whitfield had spent time forward – and the move is working well.

 

Whitfield and Scully have been among the best players on the ground in each of the past three games.

 

Whitfield admits he is more comfortable on the wing than as a forward and he is trying to push his GPS numbers – which measure distance covered and metres per minute – higher and higher.

Another reason for the improvement can't be overlooked either.

 

Seven players played against the Brisbane Lions that did not play against Richmond.

 

Phil Davis, Tim Mohr and Josh Hunt's return stiffened the backline.

 

Will Hoskin-Elliott was another whippet running the lines and Sam Frost and Tomas Bugg are solid bodies within the contest.

 

Nathan Wilson played his first game for the season to have, like the courageous Davis, a 100 per cent winning record in 2014.

 

And after finding some fitness against Richmond, Shane Mumford has been back doing what he does best: commanding attention.

 

Whitfield said the importance of having Mumford and the other contested ball winners back couldn’t be overstated.

 

"Just his physical presence really helps out," Whitfield said.

 

"His direction and his encouragement is really good for the boys. At every stoppage he is chirping and has got a bit to say, whether it be to us or to our opponents. He is a big factor for us and he is always getting his hand on it and putting it to the right spot."

 

Chirping footballers are certainly preferable to ones who tweet.

 

Righting the teetering ship was just the start.

 

Everyone understands that the Giants’ improvement – they’ve been competitive in all but two-and-a-half games this season – needs to continue.

 

Whitfield is aware of that but now he knows the team understands what is needed to compete.

 

"[We need to] bring our energy to the game," Whitfield said. "We're starting to play some football that is of the standard of an AFL game instead of what we served up for about a month there.

 

"[It's] good playing team-oriented footy."

 

Carlton awaits.