While it might not have looked like it, GWS actually did try to put the clamps on Nick Daicos.
The Giants even tried to expose the young Collingwood star defensively.
But they failed the test and were dealt their heaviest defeat of the season in a 65-point thrashing on Sunday at the MCG.
“We tried to; we just didn’t get it done,” Giants coach Adam Kingsley said when asked about stopping Daicos.
“We had Xavier O’Halloran trying to really manage his impact on the game and then looking to be a little bit dangerous when we had the ball.”
Daicos, among the Brownlow Medal favourites, had his usual output tempered a little by Sydney’s Ryan Clarke and Adelaide’s Ben Keays over the preceding fortnight.
The 20-year-old didn’t have his most influential match against the Giants but still managed a game-high 41 disposals – the second-biggest tally of his 34-game career.
O’Halloran finished with 16 disposals of his own, kicking 1.3 from four shots at goal.
“(Collingwood) were able to really beat us around the contest with a bit of time and space,” Kingsley said.
“We didn’t pressure anywhere near to the level that we have or needed to, which allowed them a bit of time to make decisions and (Daicos) got involved in those chains.
“But we didn’t really look dangerous with the ball either.
“We played a little bit too safe at times and it’s hard to exploit those kinds of players when you’re playing like that.
“He clearly had an impact on the game. We weren’t able to stop it. Well done to him.”
Kingsley was bitterly disappointed with the Giants’ worst performance on his watch, in which they were smashed 63-29 in the tackle count.
With captain Toby Greene expected to return from an ankle injury, GWS have a chance for redemption in round 10 against St Kilda, who will be coming off their own heavy defeat, to Adelaide.
“We’re better than what we showed today and we need to prove that,” Kingsley said.
“We’ve got a big game against the Saints.
“They had a similar result in terms of margin, so they’ll be hungry. We need to be hungrier.”