'A good bit of fun': Giants cheeky after derby clash

Hunting a top-four spot, Giants coach Adam Kingsley had let it rip at halftime after the Swans had slammed through six straight goals to set up a 28-point lead at Engie Stadium.

His words had an immediate effect.

The Giants returned serve with eight straight goals - nine in total - in the third quarter to set up a 44-point victory.

"It was a good one. It was direct," skipper Toby Greene said of the spray.

"We deserved it, though. We were pretty ordinary in the first half.

"Their (Sydney's) work rate and contest were miles ahead of where we needed to be."

GWS move to fifth (13-6) with their sixth consecutive win ahead of the weekend's clashes, while Sydney languish in 10th (9-10).

Greene had also lit the fuse at halftime, calling Swans livewire Papley "overweight" in a mid-game interview with Fox Footy.

Papley had made a point of celebrating his first major on return from a hamstring by making a beeline to Greene in the second quarter.

"Nah, it's always a good bit of fun," Greene said with a grin.

Kingsley, who described his spray as delivering "reminders", doesn't expect Greene to be sanctioned for the halftime comment.

It comes after Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko received a $3000 fine for his foul-mouth tirade towards the officials bench last week.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was also fined $20,000 last year for goading Hawthorn players.

"I'd be pretty disappointed if he got fined," Kingsley said.

"They're (the players) trying to put each other off, and they're doing it all within the rules, of course.

"Winners are grinners, and if you're not, you move on."

Greene's halftime antics come after a quiet week - uncharacteristically devoid of banter, at least from the Giants - between the cross-city rivals.

"We don't need to be winning any verbal battles. We need to be winning the physical battle out in the field," Kingsley said.

"In the past, we've had a bit of back and forth in the media stuff, but we don't really need that."

Left to mull over the end of their finals hopes, Sydney counterpart Dean Cox wouldn't be drawn on Greene's jibe to Papley.

"I don't really listen to other players during half-time interviews. There's always a bit of cheek," Cox said.

"People, when they speak in the media, generally are really calculated to opposition players.

"Some players push the boundaries a little bit - Toby's probably one of those."

Australian Associated Press