GWS ace Green stuns Hawks with late comeback win

A late goal from local hero Tom Green has handed GWS a thrilling comeback victory against Hawthorn in Canberra to drive a dagger into their rivals’ final ambitions.

Green picked up a loose ball 30m from goal in the 29th minute of the last quarter and snapped a six-pointer to give his side the lead after they had trailed from early in the first term.

Sunday afternoon’s 12.12 (84) to 12.10 (82) win solidifies the Giants’ place in the top eight and keeps the Hawks four points adrift of the knock-out spots.

With their winning streak extended to five games, Adam Kingsley’s men are now right back in premiership contention.

Meanwhile, Sam Mitchell’s side are still a red hot chance of what seemed an unlikely finals berth after their torrid start to the season, with two of their three fixtures remaining against the league’s bottom two.

The Giants got off to a flying start, amassing the first eight inside-50s of the game.

In-form full forward Jesse Hogan scored a game-high five goals, including the first of the match in the opening minute, making no mistake from 35m out.

He soon had another golden chance for a six-pointer, monstering the Hawks defense to again mark in a propitious position.

But the hulking Hogan sliced ​​it wide to the right and – mirroring his trademark run-up – GWS then stuttered.

Hawthorn got underway through Jack Gunston, who converted from 30m out after a pinpoint Dylan Moore centre, in what was the first of the 32-year-old’s four goals for the afternoon.

The Hawks scored the game’s next four goals to open up a sizeable lead, as nothing seemed to be going the Giants’ way.

GWS’s defensive Lachlans got themselves into an awful mess coming off their goal-line: Ash sold Whitfield short with a wobbly kick that ended up in the hands of the Hawks, who duly punished them as Gunston slotted his second.

Frozen out of the attacking 50, the Giants’ frustration began to show.

GWS captain Toby Greene got physical with Jai Newcombe on the sideline after an overly enthusiastic tackle.

Hogan pegged one back for the orange team, but Greene was again aggrieved when the Hawks were given a ride upfield with a 50m penalty and Massimo D’Ambrosio made no mistake.

Coming into the final quarter with a 28-point deficit, fortunes finally turned in the Giants’ favor.

Greene was awarded a 50m penalty of his own as he scored two goals either side of a Darcy Jones six-pointer.

Ash again kicked it straight to a Hawthorn forward in his defensive zone and Gunston again made the Giants pay, extending the gap back to 16 points.

But two more scores from Hogan brought GWS to within one goal and the 13,268 strong Manuka Oval crowd lifted to will the kick from Canberra’s own Green through in the dying minutes.