Things didn’t look good for the Giants when they trailed by 16 points at half-time, but a four-goal-to-zero third term helped them gain the lead and set them on the way to record the 9.12 (66) to 7.11 (53) victory.
It was the experienced heads of Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward and Shane Mumford that lifted when required in that penultimate quarter, as the Giants won for the first time in three matches to catapult in front of Essendon and up into the top eight.
It was a 30-27 edge at the clearances that paved the way for the Giants’ second-half turnaround, with Mumford instrumental at setting the tone that fellow veterans Ward and Whitfield picked up on quickly and the Bombers’ highly-rated counterparts were unable to match.
Whitfield finished with a game-high 36 disposals, while Tom Green (29) and Harry Perryman (25) also won plenty of the ball for a Giants’ midfield that bats extremely deep.
The Giants looked a different side after half-time as Whitfield got on top and they claimed an eight-point buffer at three-quarter time, following Jesse Hogan’s set-shot after the siren.
Nik Cox marked strongly for what was the Dons’ only goal of the second half early in the final term, but Brent Daniels iced the game late as the Giants held on for the much-needed victory.
The Giants next do battle with Port Adelaide on Sunday, August 1, at 1.10pm, with the venue to be announced.
