1. In tight, tense struggles like the one against GWS it comes down to a few clutch moments. And normally the adage that rings true is the team that works hardest gets rewarded. In this contest, the Giants were relentless and when the game tipped, after 11 lead changes, the breaks went their way. It was alive until the final few minutes when lively forward Bobby Hill surfaced and kicked two crucial goals taking the lead out to a game-high 16 points.

2. A little luck also goes a long way and GWS got a giant slice of it in the second quarter when Jeremy Finlayson kicked one of his three goals for the match. Forced to play on from about 40 metres after creeping around on the mark, he launched a hopeful ball beyond the goal-square, where it broke like a Shane Warne wrong-un and split the middle. Conversely, a Josh Kennedy shot at the other end of the ground needed to bounce straight to get maximum return, but it also broke to the right and denied the Eagles a goal at an important moment in the final term.

3. While the Eagles had milestone man Shannon Hurn and Liam Ryan return, there are still a few stars missing. But in the absence of captain Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Jeremy McGovern and Liam Duggan – and others – the development of some of the younger players has been encouraging. At the top of the list in recent weeks has been Jack Petruccelle and he finished off his game with two goals. Forward-ruckman Bailey Williams is also improving with every outing and adds to the team’s enormous marking power. At the other end of the ground Harry Edwards is also evolving and getting a better understanding of the defensive structure each game.

4. It would be revealing to get a glimpse into the GPS numbers for Jamie Cripps. No one works harder, often unrewarded, and he again put his shoulder to the wheel against the Giants. Cripps’ influence can never be determined purely on statistics in an era when pundits rely on numbers to assess impact. He had 10 possessions and two goals, but his defensive work and sacrificial running are just as significant.

5. The capacity of the Eagles forwards to stretch an opposition defence was again emphasised. While a few more opportunities might have resulted in a winning score, the aerial triumvirate of Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Oscar Allen causes the opposition heart flutters when the ball travels inside 50 long and deep. They each had three marks inside the attacking arc, with Bailey Williams chiming in for another. They all kicked a goal each and it could have been greater.