Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade rates Greater Western Sydney a legitimate AFL flag challenger after they smashed his side by 91 points, but his Giants counterpart warned his team faced a testing next month.
GWS recorded their biggest AFL winning margin with a 91-point home thrashing of the Suns at Spotless Stadium on Saturday.
Forward Jeremy Cameron equalled his club record of seven goals, a mark he has achieved on four occasions, with the Giants strolling to a 22.17 (149) to 9.4 (58) victory.
The Giants, who have scored more than 125 points in four of their past five games, dominated after notching the first 20 points and seven of the first eight goals.
Debutant Jacob Hopper was among the Giants stars, tallying 31 possessions.
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Injury plagued Gold Coast slumped to a fifth-straight loss and their third in a row by more than 70 points
Suns' captain Gary Ablett sent a scare through their camp when he crashed to the ground on the siren, but Eade said it was just slight concussion.
He rated the Giants as good a side as the Suns have played this year.
"There's no reason why GWS can't be there at the end, I'm really impressed with what they do, the way they go about it," Eade said.
"They've got the right amount of grunt but they can really run. They've got some real good runners, they've got a dangerous forward line.
"People in Melbourne would say `they will make the finals,' but I think they will go further than that, I think they will really challenge."
Leon Cameron was less effusive about the Giants prospects, especially as their next four fixtures are against other finals aspirants, the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Geelong and Sydney.
"I understand probably what he (Eade) might be saying, but internally we're going to find out about our footy club in the next four weeks," Cameron said.
"But we're playing some good footy and we can't deny that, but we're still a fair way away.
"We're in a good position and I think this next month is probably going to tell how far we probably can go."
The Suns extensive injury list incurred more additions, with Adam Saad suffering a hamstring issue. Tom Nicholls and Ablett both suffered concussion.
"I was scared it was a knee, it's a head knock, he got slight concussion," Eade said of Ablett, who was well held by Stephen Coniglio.
"If it had been in the first quarter he would have been off, but it looks like he'll be OK."
Eade was envious of the Giants Academy talent, with Hopper the latest player to graduate from that nursery.
"He (Hopper) loves to tackle, he loves to win contested ball and that's all you can ask from a young kid," said Cameron, who rated the Giants' intensity as spot on.
Eade said he couldn't be critical of his players effort for 85 per cent of the game.
"We made some really bad mistakes but that was through inexperience," Eade said.
