GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 4.0 10.4 12.6 18.7 (115) WESTERN BULLDOGS 2.4 5.8 11.14 15.19 (109)
Goals: Greater Western Sydney: W Hoskin-Elliott 5 J Stewart 3 A Treloar 2 R Palmer 2 C McCarthy D Smith J Kelly T Boyd T Greene Z Williams. Western Bulldogs: J Stringer 4 S Crameri 4 D Giansiracusa 2 M Bontempelli 2 R Griffen T Liberatore W Minson.
Injuries: Greater Western Sydney: Z Williams (ankle).
Umpires: Sam Hay, David Harris, Leigh Fisher.
Official Crowd: 14,725 at Etihad Stadium.
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Daniel Giansiracusa didn't get his fairytale finish, but some young Greater Western Sydney players created memories they will never forget.
Players such as Devon Smith, who kicked the goal for the Giants that secured their first win at Etihad Stadium.
With less than 20 seconds remaining and scores tied, the 21-year-old gathered the ball at half-forward seized the moment and launched a stunning 50-metre shot on the run.
Players such as Will Hoskin-Elliott, who kicked a career-high five goals including two in a pressure-packed last quarter.
What an end for Leon Cameron's team, and a nice send-off for the retiring Josh Hunt, who played his part with 18 disposals and six rebounds 50s.
They finish with six wins for the season, after just one last year.
Giansiracusa will remember this game, too.
Although not for the feel-good story it so easily could have been. And the one a player of his quality deserves.
The Dogs veteran was valiant in his last game. He kicked two goals, and had 20 disposals and six inside 50s.
A trademark game from the clever goalsneak.
He kicked a crucial goal in the third term to ignite the Dogs.
Down by 33 points during the second-quarter, the Dogs came flying back with six goals to two in the third quarter.
Ryan Griffen was superb, amassing 38 disposals, 13 clearances, 11 inside 50s, five score assists and a goal.
Stewart Crameri also came alive in the second half, booting four goals, his last the one that locked the scores with just minutes remaining.
Until then it had been a dog of a day, rather than a day for the Dogs. As coach Brendan McCartney said after the game, they made every mistake you could imagine and even some you couldn't.
Yet there they were, late in the game with a chance to win it.
Fittingly, it was Giansiracusa who had a golden chance to at least put his team ahead by one point.
He gathered the ball in the pocket, 15 metres out hard up against the boundary line.
You would back him to at least scrub a behind, or, more often than not, a goal, such is his skill.
This was the one time he didn't. Instead, the ball skewed off the side of his boot and went out on the full.
Seconds later, Smith had the ball in his hands up the other end and was about to make a hero of himself.
As Giansiracusa said after the game: "There is no fairytales in footy. I've learnt that over 15 years".
At the media conference after the match he was already speaking like the assistant coach he will now become.
The Dogs had one other chance to create a happy-ending for Giansiracusa.
Jake Stringer dropped a mark inside 50 with no one around him that could have led to set shot that probably would have won the game.
It just wasn't meant to be for the Dogs.
