Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron has launched a strident defence of captain Phil Davis, labelling staging allegations against the player as "silly" and "poor".
And a "bemused" Davis has hit back at critics, saying they should check their facts before commenting.
Davis has been accused of overreacting after being struck in the throat by Western Bulldogs big man Jack Redpath, who was later rubbed out for three games after unsuccessfully challenging the striking charge at the tribunal.
The Giants full back also had his reaction questioned last year after copping a jumper punch to the chin from Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins. Hawkins was suspended for one match for the hit.
Former Geelong star Cameron Ling and North Melbourne premiership hero David King are among those who believe Davis' reaction was over the top after being struck by Redpath.
The Giants are disappointed their captain's character has been questioned by former players who they believe should know better.
"I actually thought it was a little bit silly," Cameron said. "He gets hit hard every week. I actually thought it was a bit poor from those who were commentating on it. I know Phil first-hand.
"It was disappointing coming from ex-players because they know how hard the game is. For them to sit from afar and accuse someone of going down a bit too easily, I was disappointed in that.
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. My opinion is Phil is one of our toughest players and he'll continue to do that."
Davis nearly lost his career after a serious kidney injury in 2014 and is highly regarded for his on-field courage. Some would say that means Davis should be better equipped to handle the hits, though in both instances he had no reason to expect contact from players weighing 100 kilograms-plus.
"I must admit I was a bit bemused by it all. It's always interesting when people make comments without all the facts," Davis said.
"Some of the people who led the chorus in that didn't try to make contact or learn the facts. That's a bit disappointing from my point of view."
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Davis plays his 100th club game this week against the Cats in a high-stakes match that will decide which club finishes second and earns hosting rights for a qualifying final. The loser could drop to fourth and face a daunting trip to Adelaide.
The Giants believe the assignment in Geelong is the perfect preparation leading into the finals.
"If you play the game in the right way you walk away on Saturday night, win, lose or draw, saying we're prepped and ready to roll," Cameron said.
"It's a great opportunity for us to play another top-four team in the last round. Sometimes you don't get that luxury. What I mean by luxury, it means it's going to be on.
"Some teams will go in and play teams that might be outside the eight and it could be an easy victory. No one knows the perfect preparation, everyone guesses. From my point of view it's a great opportunity to play a really tough team in Geelong."
The Giants have several headaches at selection with ruck/forward Rory Lobb and veteran Steve Johnson available.
While Lobb is almost certain to replace youngster Harrison Himmelberg, there is conjecture whether Johnson remains in the Giants' best 22. In his favour is the Giants are playing his former club, Cameron said.
Utility Matt de Boer is the most in danger of losing his place to Johnson but his defensive pressure is vital to the Giants' forward set up.
