A LACK of tackling pressure was evidence of Greater Western Sydney not bringing the attitude required against Essendon on Sunday at Etihad Stadium, Giants coach Leon Cameron says.
GWS entered the match as red-hot favourite to beat the last-placed Bombers, but struggled in what was a tight contest for much of the game.
Essendon gained the lead halfway through the first quarter and wouldn't relinquish it until midway through the third term, before the margin blew out late to 27 points.
The coach said the Giants having only nine tackles in the opening quarter was indicative of his side's mindset. They would finish with 59, compared to Essendon's 71.
"Our tackling was poor in the first quarter, even parts of the second quarter, and then the whole thing got better after half-time," Cameron said after the game.
"That's a lack of intent at times, and a bit of an attitude problem at times.
"The ball was pinging around a little bit, and Etihad Stadium can do that as well, and we probably didn't adjust to that and slow the game down as best as we needed to."
Five talking points: Essendon v Greater Western Sydney
Cameron said he was impressed with the mental ability of his team to stay resilient against a Bombers outfit that was much improved upon his recent weeks.
"There were players that were down on the day but had really good moments and that's a really good sign for our footy club, because we haven't been able to wrestle (momentum) back in the past," Cameron said.
"That was the pleasing thing – we found a way to win."
WATCH: Leon Cameron's full post-match press conference
The result leaves the Giants in fifth place ahead of their clash with Carlton at Spotless Stadium next week, before they have the bye.
They are a win outside the top four but have the third-highest percentage in the competition.
The club is unsure if ruckman Shane Mumford will return for the clash against the Blues.
"We were sort of confident he was going to play (against Essendon). He trained on Wednesday, started the first 10 or 15 minutes and his ankle blew up a bit," Cameron said.
"That's the ankle he had reconstructed last year.
"We erred on the side of caution but we'll probably know by about next Tuesday or Wednesday (whether he will face Carlton)."
The artificial turf surrounding the arena came under scrutiny once again after Giants midfielder Lachie Whitfield was twice felled heavily into it.
It has been a recent topic of discussion after Geelong's Daniel Menzel said it contributed to the ankle injury he suffered against North Melbourne in round 12.
Menzel came back onto the ground against the Kangaroos with the assistance of painkillers and was able to play on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs.
"It's an interesting one, a really interesting one," Cameron said.
"Is it right? So much traffic goes around the boundary at Etihad, in terms of setting up for sporting events. Is the synthetic the right idea?
"I think everyone's probably got to have a discussion about it."
