In front of 11,741 fans who seemed well braced for the Canberra cold, it was also the first AFL game played in snow.
Relishing the freezing conditions which also included sleet, rain and strong winds, the Hawks 13.7 (85) to 4.5 (29) victory put a massive dent in the Giants’ finals hopes.
Coach Leon Cameron admitted the loss was embarrassing and made no excuses after the match.
“It was probably one of our worst losses for a long time, so we have to put our hands up and take responsibility for that,” he said.
“We got touched up around the footy in contested ball, and win, lose or draw, we pride ourselves on that.
“Embarrassing is a pretty harsh word but we’re not going to run away from it.”
Cameron also dismissed as “silly” a suggestion that his players were more affected by the conditions.
“It wouldn’t matter if it was sunny out there, they probably still would have won with that appetite for the contest,” he said.
Next up the Giants will host The Western Bulldogs at Giants Stadium on Sunday in the season’s penultimate round.
Giants toppled in snow
MAKING history in all the wrong ways, the Giants were kept to their lowest ever by an impressive Hawthorn side who made the most of snowy and wet conditions to come out with a 56-point win.
