PORT Adelaide has suffered a shock loss to Greater Western Sydney.
The AFL's newest club emphatically ended any suggestion it was intentionally chasing this year's wooden spoon and first pick in the NAB AFL Draft following a sensational 34-point victory over Port Adelaide at Skoda Stadium.
The Giants had lost their past five matches by an average of 118 points, comfortably the worst five-game aggregate in the history of the game, but stunned Port Adelaide 16.11 (107) to 10.13 (73).
They may still prop up the ladder at year's end, but it appears it won't be by design, as they gave coach Kevin Sheedy the perfect gift in his 1000th game as a player and coach.
They have also heaped enormous pressure on Port coach Matthew Primus, who fled for the rooms minutes before the final siren and must feel like a lost soul in western Sydney.
Jonathan Giles, who spent four years on the Port list without playing a game, starred in the ruck for the Giants, while Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio were also outstanding and Jeremy Cameron and Tom Bugg kicked three goals each.
Hamish Hartlett was one of Port's best before he was subbed out in the final term, with Brett Ebert kicking three goals.
And so it proved on Saturday.
Even during their horrendous losing run, the Giants had been able to get off to decent starts, but they took that to a whole new level under bright sunshine at Sydney Olympic Park.
Bugg kicked the game's first goal and had another seconds later courtesy of a free kick as the home side flew out of the blocks.
Three kickable set shots were wasted, but it didn't bother the group in orange and black, which slotted three more goals to cap one of its best quarters of football as a club.
A Jay Schulz goal after the siren left GWS with a 26-point lead at the first break.
When Adam Treloar slotted another goal on the run 15 seconds into the second quarter, followed by Taylor Adams and Jon Patton, the home side led by 44 points and a major upset was on the cards.
Port was finally stung into action, however, kicking the final three goals of the half against the tiring Giants to reduce the margin to a manageable 25 points at the main break.
The third quarter was one best forgotten as quickly as possible as Port dominated possession and territory but wasn't able to make it count against an exhausted opponent.
The Giants then had all the running in the final term to stun their visitors and drag themselves off the bottom of the ladder.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 5.4 8.6 10.9 16.11 (107)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 4.5 8.9 10.13 (73)
GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Bugg 3, Cameron 3, Giles 2, Smith 2, Treloar 2, Adams, Cornes, Hoskin-Elliott, Patton
Port Adelaide: Brett Ebert 3, Schulz 2, Brad Ebert, Hartlett, Moore, P.Stewart, Westhoff
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Giles, Ward, Coniglio, Smith, Treloar, Cameron, Greene
Port Adelaide: Hartlett, Thomas, Cornes, Hartlett, Brad Ebert, Brett Ebert
INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: TBC
Port Adelaide: TBC
SUBSTITUTES
Greater Western Sydney: Will Hoskin-Elliott replaced Taylor Adams in the fourth quarter
Adelaide: Aaron Young replaced Hamish Hartlett in the fourth quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Fleer, Pannell, Harris
Official crowd: 6,811 at Skoda Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
