The West Coast Eagles, buoyed by a strong showing against Collingwood just six days prior, faced a crushing reality check at Optus Stadium on Friday night. A relentless Greater Western Sydney Giants squad, dubbed the 'Orange Tsunami', delivered a decisive 59-point defeat, ending the Eagles' wave of optimism. Despite playing without their spearhead Jesse Hogan, who had previously tormented the Eagles with a nine-goal haul, the Giants proved their depth and skill, securing a commanding 16.15 (111) to 8.4 (52) victory. This dominant performance propelled GWS back into the top eight of the league.

The Giants' midfield was the architects of their success, with Finn Callaghan delivering a career-best performance, racking up an impressive 37 disposals, 854 meters gained, six clearances, and a goal. Captain Toby Greene also contributed significantly, despite finishing with three goals from seven shots and 18 disposals. Midfield stalwarts Tom Green, with 35 disposals and nine clearances, and Josh Kelly, contributing 27 disposals and two goals, were pivotal in their team's control of the game. The sheer dominance of the visitors was starkly evident in the fact that the Eagles' leading ball-winner was defender and co-captain Liam Duggan, with 27 disposals.

For the Eagles, several players who had shone against the Magpies struggled to replicate their impact, including Liam Baker (11 disposals), Brady Hough (18), and Tom McCarthy (19). From the opening bounce, West Coast appeared to have abandoned their fundamental strategies, making the classy Giants look effortlessly superior. Similar to their round four encounter, the Eagles failed to prevent the Giants from breaking out of contests and, worse, allowed them excessive space across the ground, causing their defensive structure to completely collapse. This lack of pressure was starkly illustrated when Callaghan ran unchallenged through the centre square, with four Eagles struggling to even give chase.

Concerned by the Giants' relentless assault, West Coast coach Andrew McQualter made a tactical move, deploying second-gamer Jobe Shanahan from the forward line to act as a spare man in defence, aiming to stem the bleeding. The atmosphere intensified when Toby Greene caught Harley Reid (24 disposals, seven clearances, seven tackles) high, then aggressively tossed the ball back to the youngster, finally igniting the crowd. This moment seemed to spark the Eagles, who, for a brief period, looked threatening offensively, with Jamie Cripps snapping their first goal from deep in the right forward pocket.

In the second quarter, West Coast managed to tighten their defence, preventing the Giants from scoring as frequently. However, their struggles with offensive connection turned the game into a stalemate. Reuben Ginbey was a standout for the Eagles' defence, acting as a one-man army, making crucial individual acts to prevent several potential goals. Unfortunately, his teammates frequently coughed up turnovers from basic errors, placing the defence under immense pressure. By halftime, the margin stood at 35 points, and it was clear that West Coast faced an uphill battle to dismantle the Giants' robust defence.

Following half-time, McQualter took a risk, substituting senior tall forward Jack Williams for debutant Malakai Champion in an attempt to find a forward structure that could challenge the Giants. Things initially looked promising for the Eagles when Jobe Shanahan, after laying a strong run-down tackle, kicked the first major of the second half, bringing his personal tally to two goals. However, this only served to reawaken the Giants, who once again began to slice through the Eagles' lines across the ground, kicking unpressured goals that silenced the crowd. As the floodgates opened, the Eagles began to lose their composure, with undisciplined acts and poor decision-making further assisting the Giants in hitting the scoreboard with ease.

Fortunately for the Eagles, the Giants' accuracy faltered in the final term, sparing West Coast a triple-figure defeat. Despite the visitors dominating the quarter, the sting went out of the game, preventing an even wider margin. The final scoreboard reflected the comprehensive nature of the Giants' victory:

SCOREBOARD

GWS: 5.3, 8.6, 13.9, 16.15 (111)

WEST COAST: 1.0, 3.1, 5.2, 8.4 (52)

Goals – GWS: T Greene 3, A Cadman 2, D Jones 2, J Kelly 2, X O’Halloran 2, T Bedford, C Brown, F Callaghan, J Riccardi, J Stringer.

WEST COAST: J Shanahan 2, L Baker, J Cripps, J Graham, J Hutchinson, B Williams.

Best – GWS: F Callaghan, J Kelly, D Jones, X O’Halloran, T Green, T Greene, L Ash.

WEST COAST: R Ginbey, H Reid, E Hewett, L Duggan, C Hall, L Ryan, J Shanahan.

Injuries – GWS: J Buckley (ankle).

Umpires: L Haussen, C Deboy, A Whetton, E Tee.

Crowd: 38,152 at Optus Stadium.