GIANTS coach Leon Cameron says his "boys are now men" after a crushing 75-point win over Hawthorn at the club's first game at Spotless Stadium this season.
The Hawks conceded 24.14 to the GIANTS in a demoralising loss, the highest score kicked against Alastair Clarkson's men since round 13, 2005, when Port Adelaide managed 29.14 and beat them by 117 points.
Cameron placed enormous focus on improving his side's contested ball-winning ability over summer and on what GWS showed against the Hawks, it has paid dividends.
The GIANTS decimated Hawthorn in the contested ball count 153-114, dominated the clearances 47-29, and won the stoppages 30-11, and Cameron said that was the most pleasing aspect of the victory.
"I think it's been a bit of an Achilles heel (of ours) as a young club over the past two years, but I think they're really standing up," he said.
"These boys are now men and they want to play a good, ferocious brand of footy.
"The contested ball numbers stack up really well and the stoppages as well.
"Guys like Jack Steele, Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield, who have had good pre-seasons, are really contributing.
"We know Callan Ward is going to do it, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene, but they're all contributing and all want a piece of the action.
"When you get hungry players your performances are always going to improve."
It wasn't just at ground level that the home side proved superior to the reigning premiers, the GIANTS big men controlled the air as well.
Emerging forward Rory Lobb was unstoppable at times and dragged in 10 marks against the Hawks, eight of them contested, in a powerful display.
The West Australian also finished off his work with four goals.
"He (Rory Lobb) got opportunities to run at the footy tonight and it was great that his hands were really sticky and the boys really fed off that," Cameron said.
"Rory is jumping at the footy and he knows he's not always going to get those sort of runs at the ball, (but) the next part is dealing with good defenders that can really lock him away.
"I thought as good as Rory was in the air I thought his ruck work was first class."
Veteran recruit Steve Johnson continued to prove his decision to play on was the right one with an outstanding game against the Hawks.
The 2007 Norm Smith medallist kicked five first-half goals to take his tally to 16 for the year, and had a season-high 25 disposals.
"There's a trend in the game at the moment that some of these guys that look like they're at the back-end of their careers are actually playing some of the best footy of their lives," Cameron said.
"Steve's been to the mountain three times and won, but right now you'd have to say he's playing some really good, quality footy.
"He's a competitor, he loves to play footy, he loves to be around the young guys and I think they love having him around.
"He just likes playing in big games.
"When you're such a competitor like him it just rubs off on Jeremy (Cameron), it rubs off on Jon (Patton), it rubs off on Rory (Lobb).
"To bob up and have 20-odd possessions and kick five goals, it's a pretty good, god damn effort for a 32-year-old."
