GREATER Western Sydney has responded to its lackluster season opener by defeating Gold Coast by 102 points at Spotless Stadium on Saturday.
Stung by their 56-point loss to Adelaide last week, the Giants brought much more intensity to their first home game of the year, beating the SUNS 24.16 (160) to 8.10 (58).
GWS had winners all over the ground with Jeremy Cameron booting six goals and 100-gamer Toby Greene kicking five of his own.
Midfielders Josh Kelly (27 possessions and three goals), Callan Ward (32 touches and 12 clearances) and Dylan Shiel (28 disposals and 10 clearances) were prolific ball winners, while co-captain Phil Davis was also outstanding in keeping his opposite number Tom Lynch goalless.
The visitors' effort and pressure on the opposition was substandard.
Rodney Eade's men had a brief period where they lifted and kicked five goals in a row either side of half-time, three of them to gifted young forward Jack Martin, but they went back to bad habits soon after and coughed up the next 10 as the Giants ran away with the match.
Apart from Martin, onballers David Swallow and Touk Miller along with ruckman Jarrod Witts, tried hard for Gold Coast, while Rory Thompson and Kade Kolodjashnij were resolute defenders and stood up against the wave of Giants' pressure.
The Giants lost big forward Jonathon Patton (hip) before the game but it mattered little; they kicked two goals in the first three minutes of the match, and seven in the first quarter, and were never tested after that in a way that would have satisfied coach Leon Cameron.