FOX Footy analyst David King says the Giants are “miles from premiership contention” in their current run of form.

GWS currently sits third on the ladder with 10 wins, two draws and four losses from its 16 games.

But the Giants have only won one of their past five games — against bottom side Brisbane — suffering losses to Sydney and Carlton and sharing the points with Geelong and Hawthorn.

King said the Giants had lost the rapid ball movement that had set them apart.

Round 18

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“I look at the Giants and they’re spluttering and stuttering. They’ve lost their game, they can’t move the football,” King said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.

“Teams have worked out that if you take the speed out of the game — we talk about Adelaide so often — ‘oh slow them down, they can’t score’ — over the last few weeks, the GWS Giants have struggled to move the ball.

“They’ve been held up on the mark, they haven’t been able to play on, they’ve had to manufacture.”

King cited an example of Tom Scully being forced to kick backwards from half back, rather than hit up a short kick into the corridor — the type of move that usually starts the Giants’ attacking chains.

“What it’s done … we’ve seen them time and time again switch the ball and get out the other side,” King said.

“Their gut runners in Kelly and Scully get into space, pull the trigger on these little 45 degree kicks.

“Scully’s looking to come in, he’s looking to bite off a 20-metre pass on the inside. The Swans are all over them.”

The Giants look dejected. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

In 2016, the Giants averaged 10.5 more contested possessions than their opposition, while this season they average five more.

Meanwhile, they’ve played on 29 per cent of the time this season, as opposed to 36 per cent last year — another large drop-off.

“Whilst last year was so good and we all expected them to be better again this year, the numbers tell you they’ve dropped off in every important statistic,” King said.

“Contested footy’s been halved, scores from stoppages is a third of what it was. Play-ons has gone from one every three to less than 30 per cent — so 36 down to 30.

“They’ve lost a goal on attack, they’ve lost two goals on defence — that’s a three-goal turnaround. They’re back to the pack.

“Their ladder position is in my opinion, flattering at the moment and I just think they’ve got awful problems.”

Ryan Griffen. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

The Giants have suffered from a tough run of injuries this season, with veterans Ryan Griffen and Brett Deledio suffering multiple setbacks, and the likes of Stephen Coniglio, Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto also injured.

But King said given the players affected, it wasn’t a viable excuse, with GWS’ depth players exposed under pressure.

“Everyone says they’ve got injuries, but you know what? Griffen’s probably not going to play the rest of the year, Deledio we haven’t seen, Coniglio hasn’t played since Round 8,” King said.

“(Jeremy) Cameron was a big out last week but the guys on that next level, they’re being exposed … they’re being beaten — they’re not up to it.

“They’re not at premiership level, they’re not.

“They’ve got six or seven weeks to show they are, to go into a finals series. But right now, they’re miles from premiership contention.”

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