Toby

Welcome back, No. 4. This win was the result of tough team effort, but Toby Greene, back after missing last week’s loss with a sore shin, played a very big part in getting the job done. He marked it overhead, he out-positioned good defenders, he read it perfectly off hands in the goal square, he made sure of his set shots and he kicked five goals for just the second time in his career. The last time he did that, back in 2017, the GIANTS had a 100-plus point win over Gold Coast. This time, he was there every time he was needed in a tight, tense match, kicking the clincher from the goal square and ensuring a victory that meant the GIANTS avoided a third-straight loss and kept their season ticking.

Tackle pressure

The GIANTS were hungry for this one from start to finish, even when the Tigers refused to go away and got on some dangerous rolls. The team won the contested possession count by 120-104 and racked up 13 more tackles than Richmond, but it was the timing and the urgency of them that jumped out: Zac Langdon on Shai Bolton in the first quarter, helping set up Toby Greene’s first goal; Jeremy Finlayson at half-back; Stephen Coniglio in the centre square; Phil Davis on Daniel Rioli late. In the last term, and Brent Daniels on Jason Castagna not long later. Josh Kelly topped the tackle count with eight for the night. Daniels (7), Coniglio and Heath Shaw (6) and Daniel Lloyd (5) weren’t too far behind.

Whitfield, Kelly and more

Whitfield ran his heart out, again. And Kelly wasn’t too far behind him. The two GIANTS were relentless all night, and two of the team’s better players. Whitfield had a 26-disposal night and while playing off half-back got the ball in almost every part of the ground. Kelly  was busy from the first bounce and kept it up all night long, with those six tackles coming alongside 26 possessions of his own, and a very classy goal tucked tight in the forward pocket. They had plenty of help: Stephen Coniglio backed up last week's strong game with another tough performance, Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper did their bit around the ball and Jye Caldwell won a few tough clearances. Then there was Matt De Boer, who turned his attention to Kane Lambert and kept the influential Tiger to 14 possessions and no goals for the night.

Jye’s first win

It took him a while, but he got there. Since debuting in the Canberra snow late last season and coming back into the team this year Jye Caldwell has looked more and more used to AFL level footy without getting the most important thing: a win. But after game No. 6, he finally got to sing the song. Caldwell’s intensity around the contest played a part in the two-goal win, with the midfielder racking up 12 possessions, three clearances and three tackles for the night. Was he happy? “Bloody oath,” said Caldwell in his post-game interview on Channel 7 with Phil Davis.

Binga's buzz

He hasn’t had much luck in front of the big sticks this year, but Brent Daniels played with urgency and desperation and gave the time plenty of energy. His seven tackle tally was his biggest for the season, and a smart bump to spill the ball on the 50 metre line kept the ball alive in the GIANTS’ forward as things got tight late. Lachie Keeffe and Phil Davis did a great job down back on Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt, Richmond missed plenty of chances early in the game and again late, and the GIANTS withstood their runs while making the most of their own. The GIANTS lost the inside-50 count 32-46 and had three fewer scoring shots, but came away with a crucial win.

Farewell for now, Sydney

With four very important points in the bank, and the season still very much alive at 4-4 after eight rounds, it’s time to hit the road. The GIANTS have wo games in Queensland coming up in the next two weeks, playing Gold Coast and Essendon, then will head into a Perth hub for a few weeks. There’s a bye coming up after the Bombers game, though the squished-up season means it’s really an eight-day break between the round 10 and 12 games.