A brave Giants side beat the Crows on a scorching 36 degree day in Sydney, but the victory was marred by a shock hit to young star Jacob Wehr by Adelaide forward Shane McAdam.
That gave first-time mentor Adam Kingsley the best possible start to life as a head coach, with a four-goal tackle by captain Toby Greene helping the Giants defeat the Crows after giving them an early five-goal lead to secure a 15.16 (106) to 12.18 (90) win at Giants Stadium on Sunday.
Greene excelled in his first game as a solo captain, but the Giants had inspiring efforts across the field, including Brent Daniels kicking the sealer in his first game in 590 days.
The small forward ended with two goals after being sidelined by a series of hamstring problems, as the Giants had to hold out late with barely any support available on their bench in a day of injury carnage.
Harry Perryman (thigh), Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly (both concussed) were forced to leave the pitch to shower early in said carnage – but it was the hit to Wehr everyone was talking about.
Jacob Wehr is escorted off the field by medical staff after the young Giants suffered a sickening high kick
Shane McAdam (right, pictured competing for the ball with Giants quarterback Isaac Cumming) is facing a long pass down the sideline for his hit.
Wehr had to be evaluated for concussion after an unhealthy knock by McAdam, which saw the Giants star appear to suffer a whiplash of terror in brutal scenes.
‘He eliminated him! Wehr went down,’ shouted Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson as the hit landed off shore.
Lions legend Alastair Lynch, who was reporting from the border, was shocked by the impact.
‘It was a great success. I’m 50 meters away and you can hear the noise,’ he said.
The big kangaroo, David King, agreed, saying he believed McAdam should face a major ban for the hit.
Kysaiah Pickett is also facing some serious punishment after this sick shot at Bulldogs star Bailey Smith
‘This is a great success. It defined, followed, launched ‘, he said in the broadcast.
‘He’s in a world of pain. Exactly what we are trying to eliminate from the game.
In the wake of Kysaiah Pickett’s sickening jab at Bailey Smith, labeled ‘one of the most dangerous things seen on a football field in quite some time’, McAdam earned the ire of opponents, commentators and fans alike with the shocking shock to Wehr.
The fact that over 100 former players are filing a class action lawsuit against the AFL over the serious effects of the concussion on retirement only adds to the gravity of the situation.
‘That’s awful from Shane McAdam. Court will be huge this week in sending a message about what the AFL will tolerate in the future. If the player comes back later it’s not the main thing, it’s the cruelty/intent of the hit that is’, wrote a prominent member of the club on Twitter.
Many were calling for the red card to be returned at games, especially given the way concussions are currently handled.
‘Does McAdam’s impact demonstrate the need for an AFL red/yellow card? GWS lose such a player and there is no coming back against Adelaide’, wrote one fan.
“We had a discussion about the Stewart incident last year, but it’s time for another discussion about red cards in football after Pickett and McAdam’s hits this weekend,” wrote another.
Given that the Giants lost two players to concussions and could easily have lost Wehr as well while McAdam stayed on the field, it’s a very valid argument for many.
On a more positive note for the Giants, utility Harry Himmelberg qualified as a Brand of the Year contender, launching himself into the stratosphere on the back of massive Crows ruckman Reilly O’Brien.
Despite a quiet start, Himmelberg stamped his name on the game towards the end of the first quarter, launching himself at the 202 cm O’Brien, briefly sitting on the ruckman’s shoulders to make an incredible catch before collapsing to the turf.
‘Great jump by Harry Himmelberg!’ Exalted heights, stand at attention and drag a magnificent mark,’ shouted the ever-buoyant Anthony Hudson on the Fox Footy broadcast.
‘I think the mark of the year was sewn in round one,’ wrote one fan on social media, with another saying ‘that Harry Himmelberg mark is as big… as any other MOTY in recent memory. Unreal’.
Harry Himmelberg sits on the shoulders of 203 cm giant Crows ruckman Reilly O’Brien to take a stunning mark in Giants victory
Himmelberg’s huge claw has already been nominated as a brand of the year.
Emerging onballer Tom Green (37 disposals) was also prominent, and former captains Stephen Coniglio (32) and Callan Ward (31) helped lead the Giants’ second-half comeback in a superb display at midfield.
Award-winning Crows recruit Izak Rankine started his new club early but failed to make the Giants pay on the scoreboard with 2.5 from 18 disposals – although Adelaide fans will no doubt be salivating at his potential.
Josh Rachele showed his class with three goals, while new Crows captain Jordan Dawson had 23 polished possessions.
Former Crows captain Rory Sloane finished with 18 touches and played the game, despite being involved in accidental head-to-head clashes that forced some Giants out of contention.
Brent Daniels (left) receives a hug from teammate Jack Buckley after he kicks the game winner in his first game in 590 games after injury troubles
Darcy Fogarty kicked two goals but couldn’t get past the 50m distance as the Crows made one last charge before Daniels kicked the last goal of the game in a fairy tale finish.
The Giants were surprisingly dull early on in Kingsley’s first game in charge, as they made just two tackles in the first period, but the Crows couldn’t make them pay with 4.9 to 2.2 on the scoreboard.
The hosts finally got the ball rolling by kicking the first four goals of the third period to reduce the margin to less than a goal, then slowly wore down the Crows, even with few backups late in the game.
The Giants travel to Perth looking to make the West Coast 2-0 on Sunday, while the Crows will bounce back when they host Richmond on Saturday.