Over 14 years of the Sydney Derby, the Giants had worked tirelessly to become a feared opponent for the Swans, but in their 33rd meeting, they were reduced to a punching bag for their city rivals, losing by 51 points.

Swans forward Charlie Curnow kicked four goals to underline his Coleman Medal credentials and Errol Gulden finished with 41 disposals to help his team overrun a desperately overmatched Giants midfield. Giants star Finn Callaghan also left the field in the final quarter limping after a lower leg injury.

GWS endured a disastrous first half and not only due to entering the dressing room 53 points down against their fiercest rivals.

The Giants’ total of 18 tackles in the first half highlighted an inability to pressurise the Swans, with the notable exception of Giants veteran Stephen Coniglio and midfielder Clayton Oliver, who refused to give up throughout the game.

The Swans will now look to hold on to second place on the AFL ladder, while the Giants will be left with far more questions than answers in their quest to play finals football. The Giants defeated Fremantle, Brisbane, Hawthorn and Geelong this season. Their best is sublime, while their worst was on display against the Swans.

The Giants were without their talismanic captain Toby Greene due to a quad strain. He was dearly missed not only for his brilliance as a player but also as a unique leader capable of sparking a response from his teammates at the toughest times.

Greene’s old sparring partner Tom Papley’s first goal was met with an unusually muted celebration, responding to the lack of pressure faced by the Giants and perhaps the absence of Greene.

Greene played the first Sydney Derby in 2012, when the Giants lost by 63 points, alongside Stephen Coniglio. Despite the heavy loss, the youthful team could not have been accused of lacking heart or appetite. On Saturday evening, that foundation that was so painfully built crumbled.

Swans midfielder Braeden Campbell had missed the majority of this season due to a shin stress fracture. In just his second game of the year, Campbell returned to form, with his newly bleached blonde hair spotted all over Engie Stadium in the first quarter.

Campbell kicked the first goal in under a minute, benefiting from his team’s slick passing movement.

Curnow had kicked goals in 11 straight games but was held goalless in the loss against Adelaide last Friday. Against the Giants the drought ended emphatically, with Curnow kicking two in the first quarter. James Rowbottom and Jai Serong added their first majors of the afternoon to open up a 30-point lead.

Xavier O’Halloran’s first goal for the Giants wasn’t met with a cheer from Engie Stadium so much as a collective sigh of relief. It was short-lived.

Goals for Papley and Brodie Grundy extended the lead to 37 points with their first majors.

Chad Warner kicked his first goal from a tight angle from the boundary line to start the second quarter. Warner thrives in space and the Giants gifted him lots of it.

Curnow gifted the Giants with a 100-metre penalty thanks to ruffling Clayton Oliver’s hair. Jayden Laverde had a chance to kick a major 20 metres directly in front of goal. Laverde hit the post. It summed up the Giants’ day. Then the Swans’ Billy Cootee’s goal extended the lead to 45 points.

Coniglio’s second goal of the game provided some rare resistance for the home side, alongside Clayton Oliver who was fighting a difficult battle in the midfield almost alone.

Curnow and Cootee kicked their third and second goals respectively, contrasting with Logan McDonald, who 20 minutes into the second quarter had not registered a single disposal, tackle or mark on the field.

Giants coach Adam Kingsley looked intently at his laptop with his side 53 points down with McDonald finally getting a goal.

The Giants desperately needed a response after heading into the dressing room 53 points down and they finally got it at the start of the third quarter.

Coniglio spoke of his desire to finish his career at the Giants and his third goal at the start of the third quarter will have done his ongoing negotiations no harm.

Giants midfielder Ryan Angwin also kicked two majors for the quarter to try to spark a response from his team, but it proved in vain.

Curnow’s fourth major and Logan McDonald’s third goal kept the Giants comfortably at bay. Hayden McLean’s first goal of the game extended the margin to a game-high 59 points.

The final quarter provided some of the Giants’ best work, with successive goals to Jake Stringer and Joe Fonti, but it was far too little too late.

The Swans were able to treat the closing stages like a training ground drill, Jake Lloyd, James Rowbottom and Isaac Heeney kicking majors to underline a comfortable victory that could have and should have been far greater.

A fire alarm went off in the stadium towards the end of the game, recommending an evacuation. The Giants had seemingly heeded the warning far earlier in the game against an opposition that normally brings out the very best in them.