AFLW 2023: Startling Numbers Reveal Where GWS Giants Are Falling Behind In Season Eight

Despite the Giants' winless record of 0-5 this season, GWS's final quarter statistics were absolutely mind-blowing.

The Giants' shocking fourth-quarter record in AFLW season has exposed their lackluster start to the season.

Only against Melbourne in round 2 at Manuka Oval have the Giants scored in the final quarter of any of their first five games.

They have conceded 127 points in the same timeframe. The Demons were also the target of their poorest defensive fourth quarter this season.

The alarming findings can be traced back to obvious issues about breakdowns. They have many fewer inside-50s and contested balls, and their clearance percentage plummets as a result.

The Giants are winless at this stage in the season and are coming off a loss to North Melbourne in which they scored only two points for the whole match. This match marks the halfway point of the season.

The main player for the Giants, Alyce Parker, has said that the team is getting dissatisfied with how things are going on the field, but he does not believe that the season is over yet.

According to Parker, "We've really looked at concentration and fatigue and we've found that they kind of go hand in hand, which is why we've had these bad patches come up in last quarters."

You have to use different metrics to achieve progress and change going forward, but if you look at the scoreline and outcome from the weekend, you can see that we're dissatisfied. When compared to the previous week, the previous quarter is where we really shine.

We'll take what we can get right now, and that includes any progress. But in the end, we're not satisfied with a record of 0-5.

In 2023, the Giants were reportedly eager to implement Cam Bernasconi's new strategy.

Even though his first season as head coach, season seven, was marred by injuries, the team still had the feeling that they were making progress moving into this year.

They are, to some extent, in that sense. Their loss against the Crows by 69 points was a marked improvement from the 96 points they were defeated by them in season seven. A comparable pattern emerged in the degree to which they were defeated by Richmond.

The Giants' schedule hasn't been kind this season, but they aren't content with incremental improvement.

"You can't afford to be looking back with such a short season," Parker remarked.

What makes us great as a team is that none of us are ever satisfied with our performance.

"Four years ago, I think a lot of young girls would have been happy with just obtaining a game. But now that they understand their value, they are eager to contribute to the team's success.

We don't want to send the message that a loss is acceptable when we face strong opponents. That's not what we're about.

"There is no better way to put it than this: 'There are no better teams at the moment than there are at the moment.'"

When the Giants take on West Coast in Blacktown on Saturday, it could prove to be their best opportunity to record their first victory of the season.

It was a game that they lost the previous year, but the Eagles have also struggled this season and didn't get their first win until the fifth round.

"You've got to reflect, and you can get learnings from the losses, but if you stay in that view, you're missing what's in front of you," Parker said. "You've got to reflect, and you can get learnings from the losses."

"When we faced them the year before, we went into the game with a little bit of arrogance. We've got a lot of confidence after the weekend, we've changed some things that weren't working, and we're looking forward to carrying that up to the West Coast."