HAWTHORN was out-worked and out-played by an injury-hit Greater Western Sydney, in what coach Sam Mitchell termed a "disappointing" way to open the season.

The Hawks rallied late to get within 22 points after the Giants – with at least eight first-choice players on their injury list – had blown out to a 40-point lead, but the visitors left their run far too late.

GIANTS v HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

"It often happens in this game, but we got what we deserved," Mitchell said.

"They outworked us from the very start of the game. Our numbers around half-time – I think we gave up around 35 marks in the second quarter, and we weren't able to slow them down and get the game on our terms at all in that second quarter in particular, but really, the majority of the first half.

"They made the most of their chances going forward, and took the game away from us pretty quickly.

"Everyone comes into this time of year unsure (of where they're at), and we thought we were much better prepared and much more equipped to handle what they produced than we were.

"We didn't play our best footy on our own front, but we didn't produce our best footy defensively. Really disappointed with how easily they got their goals, compared to how hard we had to work for ours."

Mitchell said the Hawks had tried to apply an early Finn Maginness tag to Clayton Oliver, but soon abandoned it as too many threats developed across the board.

"They certainly out-worked us. Their potency in the front half of the ground, it came from ground-ball gets, we were minus-19 for the game. So, the ball hits the ground and they get it 19 extra times than you over the course of the game, that's pretty significant, and it shows they're working better to the contest than we were," he said.

"As basic as it sounds, most of us have heard it since under-10s: get numbers to the contest. And they were really good at that, and we were disappointing.

"I think Finn Callaghan had 750m gained, and Lachie Whitfield had high 20s (disposals) as well – the best players were reasonably difficult to do in that game, they had a lot of good performers.

"Realistically, we lost the midfield battle tonight. Centre bounces, it might have only been minus-five but that was all early, and the inside 50s – they won 19 centre bounces and it went in 18 times from it, so we just couldn’t get enough pressure on them. We didn't make the game hard enough for the Giants."

GWS coach Adam Kingsley was pleased with a number of areas from his side's victory, and in what will be a warning sign to other sides, cautioned there was plenty of room for improvement.

"I liked our ability to defend a really dangerous opposition. I thought our ability to protect the corridor, which we know they want to go through (was good). I thought our ability in the contest was really strong, to pressure and force them to quick-kick the ball forward often," he said.

"I thought we had a better balance of attacking speed which was good to see. I thought we had really strong moments in stoppage – with all these phases, we didn't quite get them right all the time, there's certainly a bit to work on, but for the most part, I was really pleased with all of it."

Recruit Clayton Oliver impressed in his charcoal and orange debut, recording 27 disposals, 19 contested possessions and nine clearances as the top inside player for the game.

"I thought he was really good around the stoppages particularly. He's so clean – sometimes he's too fast with his hands, in terms of I'm not sure our players are expecting it," Kingsley said.

"Other than Tom Green, I don't think we've got anyone who handballs the ball as cleanly or as fast as him. It felt like it caught quite a few by surprise at times. They'll start to gel together even more, the more they play together, and Clayton's impact will increase."