North Melbourne champion David King says Greater Western Sydney’s season is a lost cause due to their inability to win ugly and their lack of desire.
The Giants’ season continues to stutter after suffering their fourth straight loss at the hands of Essendon by 35-points on Saturday night.
The two-time premiership Kangaroo isn't using the club's lengthy injury list as an excuse, believing Leon Cameron’s side doesn’t have the necessary character to grind out results when they aren’t playing at their fluent best.
"They (GWS) don’t embrace the grind that winning sometimes has to be, they want to win in a clinic in bursts," King told SEN's Whateley.
"They want to put on a show and that’s great, but sometimes you have got to win ugly.
"And against Essendon they weren’t prepared to win ugly – there’s no other way of looking at it.
"They’re gone – 2018’s a nonsense.
"They’re going to talk about their injury list but I’ve got no doubt that this is a campaign not lost on injury.
"This is a campaign lost on desire, they haven’t really wanted to engage.
"They’re happy to partake and happy to put on some nice quarters here and there. But when it comes to winning, and often it’s a grind, they’re not in it for the fight."
King has put the acid fair and square on the Giants’ midfield stars, and has effectively given them no chance of defeating Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
“I just think what’s happened at GWS is on the shoulders of their midfield stars,” he said.
“Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly – I know he’s missed some football so maybe put an asterisks next to him and Jacob Hopper.
“Dylan Shiel is a shadow of his former self at the moment; not hard enough at the moment. 17 disposals on the weekend and pushed out of the way a dozen times.
“They got assaulted on the weekend by a midfield (Essendon's) that’s only been up and about for four previous quarters.
“They embarrassed them at centre bounce clearances on sheer will.
“Shut the gate on their year – they’re not beating Adelaide in Adelaide this week.
“They (Adelaide) had a horrible performance on the weekend but they’ll respond – we’ve seen it through the course of the season.
“On what I’ve seen and on the back on the Adelaide Crows’ leadership as opposed to GWS’ leadership, I think there’s your gap.”
GWS currently sit in 11th spot on the AFL ladder, six-points outside the top eight.