'Humiliated' GWS Giants slammed after historic AFL defeat

The GWS Giants have come under fire after their record defeat to Hawthorn in snowy Canberra conditions on Friday night.

In what was billed as the coldest AFL game of the season, both teams played under snow fall as Hawthorn thrashed GWS by 56 points in Canberra.

It was a historic night of lows - in scores and temperatures - that left GWS coach Leon Cameron "embarrassed".

Hawthorn won 13.7 (85) to 4.5. (29) and are now responsible for the Giants' two lowest scores this season, and their two lowest in club history.

They kept GWS to 38 points in round eight and 31 points in the club's inaugural year in 2012.

The Giants didn't kick a second-half goal and had just one inside-50 all night as the Hawks sizzled in freezing conditions.

Commentator and former North Melbourne premiership player David King questioned the attitude of the Giants players on Melbourne radio - saying they should feel embarrassed with themselves.

“I think the story is the loser to be honest and this was a game lost between the ears,” King said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“We’re talking about Round 21. The stakes are high now. To be humiliated like that at this stage of the year has alarm bells going off everywhere.

“Where to from here? I know they’ve got a lot of injuries, it’s not an excuse at this time of the year you’ve got to get on with your lot.

“They were humiliated. They didn’t want to be there, they got embarrassed at the contest and they weren’t tough enough.”

The GWS coach said his team's performance was simply unacceptable.

"We are embarrassed, let's be honest," Cameron said.

"It was one of our worst losses for a long time. We need to put our hand up and take responsibility. Some things had been rearing their head (in recent games) and they surfaced tonight.

"But I'm really confident in our group, they've got a steely resolve to right the wrong and there were a lot of wrongs tonight."

Hawks coach pleased with ‘mid-table’ team

Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson described the Hawks' thumping win against fifth-placed GWS in Canberra on Friday night as an anomaly.

The four-time premiership coach said he's building long term and is comfortable if it takes another two years before his side can "challenge seriously" for another flag.

Hawthorn have only missed finals twice under Clarkson in the past 12 years and can still make it this season, but must win their remaining two games and rely on results from other matches.

"We can't get too cosy with ourselves right at the present time, there's about 10 sides above us on the ladder," Clarkson said.

"We've been able to play some good football in September before but that was a fair while ago now.

"We need to build the group of players and the method to get there again and challenge seriously. At the minute we're sitting where we are on the ladder for a reason and that's because we're just a mid-table side."

"Every now and again we beat a side above us and everyone, including us, gets a little bit excited with that but really we sit where we are for a reason and we're not quite good enough at the present," Clarkson said.

"But hopefully there's enough excitement for our fans to say we're not too far away and we can get ourselves back up the ladder and seriously challenge again.

"If that takes 18 months or two years we're prepared to play the long game and be patient but hopefully all our supporters can see we're on the right track."

With AAP