Greater Western Sydney has put its hand up to be a genuine top-four contender, with its 22-point victory over Port Adelaide on their home deck placing them in sixth position on the ladder.
The absence of Paddy Ryder stood marked for the Power, with Dawson Simpson (46 hit-outs, 17 to advantage) outstanding for the Giants, allowing them to win the hit-out count 30-57 and the clearances 30-52.
Despite a 26-point advantage at half-time, the Giants allowed to Power to creep back into the contest, yet held off their opposition thanks to a superb final quarter effort and dominance of the contested game.
While Lachie Whitfield (31 disposals) and Stephen Coniglio (won plenty of ball for GWS, the true heroes were undoubtedly the defensive generals in Heath Shaw and Phil Davis, who finished with a combined 45 touches and 13 marks
Right from the get-go, it was apparent the Giants were going straight for the kill, with their blistering four-goal term completely flooring their opposition, who only mustered the one early goal from Brad Ebert for the term.
Fast, dynamic and exceptionally dangerous, the Giants affirmed their intentions to play finals football in season 2018, with their unbridled aggression and sheer tackling pressure - particularly in the forward half of the ground - crushing Port Adelaide.
While the Power managed to fire the ball inside 50, the defensive force of Phil Davis and Heath Shaw stood firm, repelling Port's forays forward and launching several of their own from the defensive end.
Harry Himmelberg and Tim Taranto capitalised thanks to the defensive efforts of their back six, with their intercept marks punishing the home side in the best way possible.
The hardness from the Giants around the ball was just as impressive, dominating the contested possession count by 11, with Jacob Hopper and Dylan Shiel leading the way with their grit around the contests.
Dawson Simpson was just as masterful in the ruck, giving his midfielders in Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly first use of the ball, indicative of the Giants being up by nine in the clearances at the first change and their aggressive running mindset.
As Himmelberg and Toby Greene kicked magical goals from long range - both the result of turnovers - the visitors continued to put their foot on the Power's throat, notching up eight of the last 10 inside 50s to take away a 21-point lead at quarter-time.
It was much of the same in the second despite the Power clamping down in the latter half, as the Giants slammed home early three goals to Port's two, with Lachie Whitfield undoubtedly the highlight.
Running rampant and ending the term with 17 possessions, the GWS superstar was closer to untouched as he delivered the ball repeatedly into his side's forward 50.
It once again didn't take long for the Giants to make their mark, with Hopper putting through the opening goal of the second term to extend the already significant margin.
With Charlie Dixon and Justin Westhoff handling the rucking duties in Paddy Ryder's absence, the Power lacked a key target up forward, leaving it to skipper Travis Boak to put through the Power's second goal - a feat which was rewarded with an emphatic celebration.
As the Giants' pressure around the ball continued to go escalate, Sam Reid and and Greene hit the scoreboard, with the latter pouncing upon a defensive fumble from Ollie Wines to snap his second.
But as the situation threatened to get even worse for the home side, Port managed to ward off their charging opposition, stringing together consecutive entries inside 50 before Westhoff finally drilled home another goal at the 24-minute mark of the quarter.
Despite his major in the dying minutes of the term, the home side nonetheless trailed by 26 points at half-time, with a massive effort required for the second half.
The Power lived up to the expectations of Ken Hinkley and their agitated home crowd, managing to nullify the Giants with four goals against their opposition's two.
Rising in parallel to the increasing prowess of Dixon - who alongside Robbie Gray, booted two crucial majors - the Giants for the first time in the game looked somewhat stressed, with the Power's sights firmly set on jumping into the top-four.
Stabilising right from the onset and negating GWS from penetrating the scoreboard with major scores, despite their ominous approach leaving the home side on their toes.
As both sides teased with several misses, Gray finally kicked true at the 16-minute mark of the term to give the Power the slightest chance of a comeback.
Two quick goals to Conigilio and Hopper seemed to have snuffed out any hope however, yet Dixon, back in his stomping ground up forward, rose to the occasion to place the Giants' defence under the pump.
Booting the next three goals, the Power - driven by the grunt of Tom Rockliff and the run and precision of Jared Polec - amazingly found themselves back into the hunt, trailing by just 16 points with one top-eight defining quarter left to play.
The Power launched a spirited comeback in the fourth, but despite coming to within nine points of their opposition, two final quarter GWS majors steadied the ship as the defence of Shaw and Davis once again kept the Giants afloat.
Dixon picked off where he left off in the third term, putting through a clutch major for the Power in the opening minute of play, before narrowly missing his follow-up shot on goal less than two minutes later.
It ended up being the only Power major for the term, despite there being several chances for them to come closer to their intimidating opposition.
With just nine points separating the two sides at the beginning of the fourth term, the Power continued charging forward, peppering their inside 50 with repeat entries and placing the Giants' defence under immense pressure.
As Shaw and Davis held up the dam wall and held back the Port Adelaide tidal wave, Chad Wingard seemed to have found a way to break through, after Shaw was pinged for a highly contentious deliberate rushed behind.
But as the Power dynamo lined up for his shot on goal - no less than five metres out - a desperate Shaw touch on the ball resulted in a behind, preventing the Power from drawing within four points.
Despite their scare, the Giants got back on track and regained their aggression and dominance through the centre of the ground, winning 11 consecutive clerances with Congilio starring with a game-winning five clearances in the final term.
As Adam Tomlinson and Zach Langdon each squeezed through pivotal goals late in the term, one last desperate surge from the Power came too late, as Shaw and Davis once again repelled Port Adelaide's attempts to bring themselves back in the hunt.
With the final margin sitting at 22 points, the Giants leap into sixth position on the ladder, placing Geelong outside the top-eight and preventing the Power from making the all-important jump into the top-four.
Port Adelaide will be intent on putting themselves back on the winners list when they take on the Western Bulldogs at MARS Stadium next Sunday, while Greater Western Sydney will hope to continue their late climb in six days' time with a victory over St Kilda at home.
PORT ADELAIDE 1.0 3.5 7.9 8.10 (58)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 4.3 7.7 9.12 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Dixon 3, R. Gray 2, Boak, Ebert, Westhoff
Greater Western Sydney: Greene 2, Himmelberg 2, Hopper 2, Reid, Coniglio, Langdon, Taranto, Tomlinson
BEST
Port Adelaide: Dixon, Polec, Wines, R. Gray, Rockliff
Greater Western Sydney: Simpson, Coniglio, Shaw, Davis, Lobb, Whitfield, Hopper
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Amon (knee)
Greater Western Sydney: Langdon (hamstring)
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