Big, big disappointment: Giants in grand final catastrophe

Richmond are the 2019 premiers and the Giants have been put back in their place. The final margin was 89 points, the third biggest defeat in grand final history. It was brutal - 17.12.114 to 3.7.25.

GWS had bashed and crashed their way through the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Lions and Collingwood to get to their first grand final, winning respect, a fearsome reputation and the backing of thousands of neutrals along the way. But having made it onto the big stage, before 100,014 people at the MCG, they froze.

For a team that seemed to have a sense of destiny about them, it was a staggering anti-climax. The Tigers outmatched them in every department - aggression, execution, poise, energy - you name it, they were better, and by some distance.

A run of 11 unanswered goals across the first three quarters skewered GWS, who could muster no response. It was, in a word, embarrassing, and there is a danger it could inflict lasting damage on their psyche.

Richmond have their second flag in three years and their 12th in VFL/AFL history. For the Giants, it's back to the drawing board. Four times now, they've gone to the well and come back with nothing.

Coach Leon Cameron has an extremely talented list and a premiership window that, in theory, should be open for a long while yet. But there are no guarantees in footy, which is something their players must remind themselves of repeatedly over the long, hard summer ahead.

The last time a team got beaten this badly in a grand final was Port Adelaide in 2007 - and they haven't made it back since.

Some of Cameron's risky selection calls backfired, badly. Lachie Whitfield favoured his left foot all afternoon, clearly still suffering from his appendix surgery last week. Co-captain Phil Davis passed a last-gasp fitness test but hobbled through the afternoon, his direct opponent Jack Riewoldt bagging five goals.

Toby Greene, making his return from a one-game suspension, had been talked up as a player built for grand finals. But Richmond had a surplus of them - Dustin Martin kicked four and picked up his second Norm Smith medal, Bachar Houli was irrepressible across half-back, while Marlion Pickett totally vindicated coach Damien Hardwick's decision to hand him his debut, collecting 22 touches, one goal and producing an audacious blind turn in the second term that will go down in Tigers folklore.

Tim Taranto, who gathered a game-high 30 disposals, was one of few Giants who could hold their heads up high. Others, like forward Jeremy Finlayson, went missing - he had only one possession for the match.

The opening exchanges were every bit as tense and ferocious as had been predicted. Richmond made the better start, but from their barrage of attacking entries could only get three behinds on the scoreboard, with GWS's rearguard standing up through the siege.

It took 20 minutes for the first goal to come and it was the Coleman Medallist, Jeremy Cameron, who provided it with a pearler of a kick from 55m out in the pocket. It felt like the worm was turning, but it would be GWS's only major of the first half.

The Tigers provided an immediate response, finishing the term with two quickfire goals - first from Martin, finishing off a raid that began with Whitfield being dispossessed on the wing by Tom Lynch, and then Daniel Rioli, who went bang on the quarter-time siren to give them a seven-point edge.

It was a sign of what was to come. Three minutes into the second term, Davis nudged Riewoldt at a marking contest, and the Richmond forward milked it for all it was worth, drawing a fortunate free kick and converting.

Thus began the relentless Richmond onslaught, which was finally interrupted when Jacob Hopper snapped a goal for the Giants in the 25th minute of the third quarter. Nobody celebrated. A big, big post-mortem awaits.