GWS have proven they can thrive without midfield prime movers Callan Ward and Josh Kelly by obliterating the pre-season optimism surrounding Essendon with a 72- point mauling of the Bombers.
Playing at the newly rebranded Giants Stadium on Sunday, GWS cruised to a 16.16 (112) to 5.10 (40) win in front of 15,424 fans, the largest non Sydney-derby regular season crowd at the venue.
It was a dark day for a Bombers side including former Giants Devon Smith and Dylan Shiel, who were booed by some of their old supporters.
The large contingent of Essendon supporters would have left disappointed by the lack of fight from their side, who won almost 40 less contested possessions.
For GWS, Jeremy Cameron kicked four goals, and Lachie Keefe and Stephen Coniglio three each, with the latter adding 31 possessions.
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Keefe, who limped off the ground in the first quarter, returned in the second term with a heavily strapped left knee and thigh and equalled his best goal haul from eight years ago.
Without the injured Kelly and Ward, the GWS midfield lifted with Tim Taranto logging two goals and 31 touches and Jacob Hopper and Lachie Whitfield also prominent.
GWS were far more consistent with their pressure and ball movement.
"We know Ward and Kelly are are bona fide A-grade midfielders, they have been for years, so you can't just replace that," said Giants' coach Leon Cameron, who added Kelly was on track to return next week.
"I think our players in there collectively, our wings (Adam) Tomlinson (Harry) Perryman, (Brett) Deledio, I thought they played major roles as well.
'It's a really good start, I'm proud because they were tough and hard and they wanted to put their noses over the pill which helps you get plenty of traction forward."
The Bombers lacked presence up forward without Joe Daniher and Cale Hooker and kicked just two goals in the first half and three in the second.
"Across the board we were flat as a team," Essendon coach John Worsfold said.
'We have to look at everything, it's not one little area that we're going to say was off, it was pretty much everything.
"The way we defended and the way we used the ball, was poor.
'It showed in terms of the number of marks we took, we just couldn't get the ball out and hit targets and certainly didn't work hard enough to present targets for each other."
GWS booted the first five goals and Essendon never got the deficit below 20.
The Giants kicked five straight goals either side of halftime and the first six goals of the final quarter to lead by as much as 85.
Shiel, Dyson Heppell and David Zaharakis all collected 25 disposals and Smith 24 for Essendon, who had two more inside 50s in the first quarter, but trailed by 16 after logging just four behinds.
Perryman could be in doubt for net Saturday's match with West Coast in Perth, after taking a hit to the ribs and back.
