DISAPPOINTING fundamentals, and an inability to see out four quarters. Pressure is on Greater Western Sydney.
It can no longer be about finding the positives in a loss, it's time to admit that it is simply not good enough. The Giants became the first club to lose to Collingwood on Sunday afternoon, losing the inside 50 count 45-27 and giving up 2.4 (16) in the last quarter, they were their own worst enemy in the match.
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"We're at that point now," coach Cam Bernasconi said when asked if it was time to admit they just aren't good enough.
"That's what was said in the rooms after… we can talk as much as we want, but we've got to actually do it."
Energy and effort faded late in the face of Collingwood's pure territory dominance, giving up 10 inside 50s for the final term compared to winning just two of their own, it became all too much for the Giants.
"When the game's tight, you need to find a new gear, and we didn't, hence why I'm really disappointed," Bernasconi said.
Skill errors let the side down throughout the day, with a desire to get the ball moving at speed but too often handing it back to the Pies. The most glaring example was an inability to spoil a long-range Ash Centra set shot in the last quarter, instead allowing it to bounce through for a goal.
"We need to coach how to punch that ball across the line, which I would have thought at the level, we're better than that. So, that's why there's disappointment right now. I just feel like there's parts of our game that we're just not getting right," Bernasconi said, clearly frustrated.
"It's just simple things. It's our fundamentals. It's a fundamental of killing the ball across the line. We give away some silly free kicks at times as well, which is another fundamental. So yeah, we'll probably have to break it down and not coach the fancy stuff."
The side lost defender Poppy Boltz early in the piece to an ankle injury, which will be scanned on Monday, but they are hopeful to get star midfielder Zarlie Goldsworthy back for her first game of the season following a fractured leg suffered in the pre-season.
"Still a bit of a TBC on Zarlie, but that'd be great if we can get Zarlie back next week… I think getting the morale boost of that as well, she's a very, very smart player. So yeah, if she can get through a good week of training, then I think yeah, it'll be great to see her back out there," Bernasconi said.
Collingwood opted to play returning star Brianna Davey as a pure forward after she missed with illness last week, and it paid off, with the former captain kicking the sealer.
"I thought (Davey) was really dangerous up there," Collingwood coach Sam Wright said following the win.
"She just can't quite get continuity into her game to progress those midfield minutes at the moment, and she's been really honest about that. So, we'll try and build that up from her point of view."