The GIANTS have finished off their home campaign with a convincing 54-point win over West Coast, doing all they can to keep the season alive.
Needing a win to maintain their slim hopes of a wild card spot, the GIANTS kicked nine straight goals as they charged to a 16.15 (111) to 7.15 (57) victory at ENGIE Stadium on Sunday.
To snare a spot in the finals, the GIANTS need Carlton to lose on Sunday afternoon against the Western Bulldogs and in the final round, while the GIANTS also need to beat Adelaide next week.
They turned a 16-point first-quarter deficit into 35 and 47-point leads at half and three-quarter time.
West Coast slumped to a 10th straight loss despite winning the clearances and racking up the same number of inside 50s.
Their lack of accuracy across the two middle quarters proved costly with the GIANTS kicking 8.5 to the Eagles' 0.9.
With questions over the futures of Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer, the home side showed it had other goal-kicking options up forward, although Greene contributed two majors.
Callum Brown booted four goals, Aaron Cadman three and Harvey Thomas and Riley Hamilton two each.
Both teams kicked five goals in a frantic first quarter in which West Coast had seven more inside 50s.
The Eagles dashed to a 16-point lead on the back of four straight goals, with Tom Cole involved in all of them, as the visitors scored primarily from back-half chains.
The GIANTS retaliated, kicking four of the last five goals of the term to lead by one point at quarter-time, with four majors coming from clearances.
The GIANTS carried the momentum into the second quarter, kicking. 6.2 to 0.5, with their running game and drive from the back half cutting the Eagles apart.
Eagles spearhead Jake Waterman had another mixed outing, kicking 2.3 and Liam Baker also kicked two goals.
GIANTS defenders Lachie Ash and Lachie Whitfield tallied 36 and 33 touches, respectively.
A season of 'what ifs' for the Jakes
Since his seven-goal haul against ladder-leaders Fremantle in round 17, GIANTS livewire Jake Stringer has struggled to back up that hot form in front of the big sticks, while Eagles spearhead Jake Waterman's woes have been well documented. Stringer finished with 1.3 against the Eagles on Sunday - although his one goal was a signature Stringer stunner from an impossible angle. That return made it it 7.18 since his seven-goal bag, taking his season haul to 42.43. Up the other end, Eagles spearhead Jake Waterman also missed some gettable shots that continued his wayward ways in 2026. Waterman finished with a 2.3 return against the GIANTS, with his season tally sitting at 48.55. It begs the question, what could have been if a few more of those chances sailed through this season?
The GIANTS' new-era forward line looks to be in good hands
There could be wholesale changes for the GIANTS in attack at the end of this season, with doubt surrounding the futures of veterans Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer and skipper Toby Greene at the club. But Max Gruzuewski and Aaron Cadman offered an exciting glimpse of the club's future, combining for four goals and proving a constant threat in the front half. Their scoreboard impact was important, but their work in the air was also eye-catching with Gruzewski hauling in seven marks and Cadman six, repeatedly presenting as reliable targets and linking up the GIANTS' ball movement.
GIANTS 5.2 11.4 13.9 16.15 (111)
EAGLES 5.1 5.6 5.10 7.15 (57)
GOALS
GIANTS: Brown 4, Cadman 3, Greene 2, Thomas 2, Hamilton 2, Gruzewski, Angove, Stringer
EAGLES: Baker 2, Waterman 2, Murdock, Cole, Hough
