NORTH MELBOURNE Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.1 Â Â Â 5.3 Â Â Â Â 6.8 Â Â Â Â Â Â 9.9 Â Â Â Â (63)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Â 2.5 Â Â Â Â 6.8 Â Â Â 10.11 Â Â Â 14.16 Â Â Â (100)Â
GOALS - North Melbourne: Brown 3, Harvey 2, Ziebell, McDonald, Daw, Cunnington. Greater Western Sydney: Patton 5, Johnson 4, Smith 2, Cameron, Hopper, Ward.
BEST - North Melbourne: Harvey, Brown, Ziebell, Mullett, Gibson. Greater Western Sydney: Patton, Johnson, Smith, Shiel, Scully, Shaw.Â
INJURIES North Melbourne: Macmillan (hip). Greater Western Sydney: Whitfield (ribs).
UMPIRESÂ Donlon, Schmitt, Meredith.
CROWDÂ 22,295 at Etihad Stadium.
North Melbourne courted the prospect of losing to Greater Western Sydney during the week when it announced the end of four much-loved veterans' careers. It might have been seen as defeatist. But in retrospect, it was simply being realistic.
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Giants secure top-four finish
Greater Western Sydney defeated North Melbourne by 37 points on an emotional night for the Kangaroos.
 The Roos will head interstate for an elimination final having now won just two of their past  11 games. And this one, in the end, was as comprehensive as any.Â
Even when North led the Giants, it was arguably only wastefulness from the precocious young finals newcomer that made that the case. And once that was corrected, the result seemed pretty inevitable.Â
The upshot was a 37-point win, the Giants' first-ever against North. It guaranteed a top-four finish and a double chance.
The Roos looked to have slightly more appetite early, but when the Giants went forward, there was no doubt they looked dangerous. And classy. Devon Smith had the best possible example of that, intercepting a North handball, sidestepping beautifully and slipping out a handball to his captain Callan Ward, who made no mistake.Â
All four North "retirees" were getting a big hand any time they went near it, but Brent Harvey a little bit more so. "Boomer" looked as dangerous as ever, and his chip pass to a leading Ben Brown gave the big Tasmanian his second goal.Â
He'd have some competition at the other end, though, where Jonathon Patton very adeptly wheeled on to his right foot and and snapped the first of three first-half goals. But Brown had his third in a quarter when from the tightest of angles he made the most of a boundary line free kick.Â
North Melbourne had won more of the first-quarter possession but  as soon as the Giants tightened up defensively, they looked the side more likely to score, which they began to do more freely with four goals to two in the second term.Â
They'd missed more than their share of gettable opportunities, having stumbled to 2.7 before Steve Johnson burst into the clear for their third major. That soon became four, and a two-goal lead, thanks to Patton.Â
The Roos responded with two in a minute from Luke McDonald and Jack Ziebell, who was having both a literal and metaphorical impact on proceedings. But errors were costly. Majak Daw taking a big grab within range, then managing to kick into the  man-on-the-mark.Â
And GWS, cleaner users of the ball, made them pay. Patton had his third after Toby Greene planted one right on his chest. Then, as the siren rang, Jacob Hopper nailed another.
The Giants were simply more efficient, Heath Shaw not only winning a lot of ball from half-back, but distributing it neatly every time. Midfield and heading into the forward 50, Tom Scully did likewise, ditto Dylan Shiel. And almost inevitably, the gap in class began to be reflected on the scoreboard, too. Not immediately, as Harvey, if not the Roos' best, very close to it, slammed on through on the run to open the second half.Â
But that was about that for the Roos, GWS kicking the remaining four goals of the term. Patton booted his fourth, Devon Smith was allowed way too much latitude, camped out behind a goalsquare pack, and added another.Â
Enter Johnson, and a trademark bit of wizardry, slotting one on the run, under pressure, and hard-up against the boundary. Then Jeremy Cameron, thanks to Roo key defender Robbie Tarrant all but unsighted, tore into an open goal and suddenly the margin had blown out to 29 points.Â
Harvey kicked the first of the last, too, but in almost an action replay of the preceding 30 minutes, that was simply the catalyst for GWS to inflict more pain on the home side, this time with three goals in a five-minute burst.Â
To say Johnson was revelling in proceedings would be an understatement. He'd kick two of that trifecta. In between, Patton banged home his fifth, making it 11 in two games now for a man rapidly looming as a big finals wildcard.Â
His team, however, has to be considered a lot more than that. Not only do they get to play finals in their fifth year, but they'll do so with a double chance, and more than likely do so in their home city against a crosstown rival they belted by seven goals last meeting.Â
Not that these Giants are short on confidence. But their efficient disposal of the Roos and those starting conditions suggest a team whose September debut could be far more than mere novelty value.Â
 Â
VOTES
NORTH MELBOURNEÂ v GWS
(Rohan Connolly)
Jonathon Patton (GWS)………9
Dylan Shiel (GWS)……………8
Tom Scully (GWS)……………8
Brent Harvey (NM)…………….7
Steve Johnson (GWS)………….7