AHEAD of his first clash with his former side, Greater Western Sydney recruit Jayden Laverde caught up for coffee with close friend and former teammate Nate Caddy.

The pair spent the morning trading barbs and trying to get under each other's skin, but the now-infamous Essendon whiteboard surprisingly "didn't come up".

Speaking after the Giants' 14-point win over the Bombers on Saturday evening, Laverde said the result held a little extra meaning.

In a game of contrasting halves, GWS pulled off a massive 40-point turnaround in the second half after the Bombers had surged to a 26-point lead midway through the third term at Engie Stadium.

"It felt extra special for me getting a win over my old side," Laverde told AFL.com.au post-match.

"It was great to come back, we weren't at our best today, but the boys showed great determination to get the job done.

"I'm always going to be a bit nervous coming up against the old crew, but I enjoyed the challenge. They put on a great game for us and pushed us right to the end.

"It was awesome to come up against boys I'm still very close with – we're great competitors, so I was really happy with the game."

Asked if there was any verbal sparring before the first bounce, the key defender pointed back to his morning brew.

"I had a coffee with Nate Caddy. We're pretty close, so we were into each other a little bit," he said.

"He told my old man that he was going to try to jump on my shoulders, but I didn't let that happen. I wasn't going to let that happen twice!"

The friendly banter was a callback to Laverde's last encounter against fellow former Bomber Jake Stringer in 2025.

In round 19 that year, Stringer took a spectacular grab over Laverde and vowed to use a photo of the moment as his phone wallpaper.

But on this occasion, with Stringer and Laverde now Giants teammates, they combined at opposite ends of the field to haunt their old club.

Giants coach Adam Kingsley praised Laverde's impact after the game, labelling his performance against his former club "outstanding".

"It's pleasing for us. I'm not really interested in them hurting their old club; I'm interested in what they can contribute to help us win, and I thought Jayden was really good," he said.

"(He was) challenging balls coming in, often unpressured, defended (and) won the ball back for us 11 times. He's been really good and was justly rewarded with a two-year contract extension during the week, which is a great news story for him and for us.

Kingsley was equally impressed with Stringer's contribution, adding: "Jake's been pretty effective all year. He gets a couple of opportunities and finishes his work – three goals. He continues to really build for us, and I like the output of both of those boys."

The contract extension, announced by the Giants last week, follows Laverde's productive start to life in Western Sydney.

Averaging 15 disposals, five spoils, and two intercept marks per game, the 30-year-old has integrated seamlessly into the squad. His presence has proven especially vital while star defender Sam Taylor remains sidelined.

It marks a significant turnaround for Laverde, who spent over a decade at Tullamarine before being delisted at the end of 2025. Subsequently picked up via the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) in November, the veteran has featured in every game this season, cementing his spot in a defensive unit headlined by Connor Idun, Harry Himmelberg, and Jack Buckley.

"It's been amazing. I'm grateful to be here up north and play for this great club. It's been a breath of fresh air for me, and I'm loving every bit of it so far," Laverde said.

"It's a great bunch of guys, and I'm really happy here."

Reflecting on his journey to the Giants, Laverde attributed his resurgence to a gruelling summer.

"I put in a lot of hard work through the pre-season. I wanted to come in and make an immediate impact. I wasn't just here to make up the numbers," he said.

"I felt I had my best footy ahead of me. My body feels good, and I believe I've still got plenty of years left in me. The club recognised that (effort), and I'm glad to get the deal done.

"It was my job to prove to the staff and to 'Kingers' (Kingsley) that I was worth picking up. I trained hard in the off-season to get my body right, and I feel I've shown enough to warrant my spot in the side."