Round 8, 2001, was a watershed moment for Brisbane — even if the Lions didn’t recognise it at the time.

Brisbane, preliminary finalists in 1999 and finalists in 2000 were 2 1/2 years into Leigh Matthews’ reign at the club when they travelled to Princes Park to face Carlton.

They limped home, manes askew and tails between their legs on the rough end of a 74-point flogging from the Blues.

It was one of those Anthony Koutoufides days.

The Carlton superstar had 36 disposals and kicked three goals.

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Brisbane, considered the next big things in the AFL were, in many eyes, exposed as pretenders.

But it became what former Prime Minister Paul Keating might have dubbed the recession they had to have.

Forced to confront their own shortcomings, Brisbane fell five points short of Adelaide the following week, then toppled red-hot flag fancies Essendon in what is remembered as the “Predator game”, so dubbed because of Matthews’ pre-match comment: “If it bleeds you can kill it and we think Essendon can bleed”.

The Lions won 16 games in a row to claim the 2001 flag and then banked the 2002 and 2003 flags on top of it to become one of the greatest premiership dynasties of the modern era.

Camera Icon One of the great dynasties. Credit: AFL Photos

The Carlton flogging was the kick in the teeth the Lions needed to fulfil their potential, the shock reminder of how far they were off the mark.

It turned a talented team into a ruthless one.

Which brings me to my point.

I don’t think the super-talented Greater Western Sydney team have had that moment yet.

And as strange as it sounds — perhaps their extreme talent will prevent them from ever getting the kick in the teeth they need to become the ruthless, irrepressible outfit they really should become.

Colleague Andrew Hamilton and I went to a city pub after the Fremantle-Gold Coast game on Saturday to watch the Sydney derby.

We stood at a tall table alongside a crusty old codger, who was clearly a footy fanatic.

He ruefully told us he had tipped the Giants and then assessed the game. “Hardened professionals versus kids,” he said.

Why, after two preliminary finals, do many of us still regard the Giants as kids? Because at times during games they still play like talented kids.

Sydney won by 16 points at the SCG, which is hardly a disaster for the Giants, who have started the season 2-1 — again, hardly a disaster.

They will start warm favourites in Canberra against Fremantle on Saturday afternoon.

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But are the Giants all they can be yet? Surely they are a long way from it and they are certainly a long way from being ruthless. Talent is never a curse for footballers, but it can mask flaws.

In the Giants’ case, despite two heartbreaking preliminary finals losses, they are still prone to lapsing into the sort of football which gifted kids play because they get away with it, rather than sticking to the sort of football even good AFL opponents are going to be unable to stop.

Two examples from the Sydney derby.

Third quarter, talented midfielder Jacob Hopper tries to “step” back inside Sydney’s Nic Smith at half-forward for the Giants.

Smith strips the ball, Sydney sweep it to the other end and Will Hayward kicks a critical goal.

Last quarter, Jonathon Patton goes long inside attacking 50 and Tim Taranto, with the sit on Smith, takes a great contested mark inside the goal square.

There are 17 minutes left, his team is 21 points down. GWS are close enough and there is time enough if the Giants play well enough.

But Taranto needs to go back and make sure of the goal.

Instead he tries to play on. Dane Rampe lunges, pushes him off the kick and a certain goal is wasted.

Gun juniors like Hopper and Taranto may have grown accustomed to taking liberties, but gun AFL defenders like Smith and Rampe don’t let you get away with them.

The Giants need to apply their extreme talent, not flirt with it and they are flirting with failure if they don’t learn to appreciate the difference.