'Not acceptable': Giants ruck finding top form for Dees

GWS slammed through 14-straight goals while containing the reigning premiers to none in a record-breaking third-quarter to pull off an extraordinary 78-point demolition job.

Briggs called the shots at the stoppage, managing 26 hitouts, five clearances and eight score involvements against Brisbane's two-pronged approach of Sam Draper and Darcy Fort.

But his form hadn't come easy, with the 26-year-old spending three weeks in the VFL after coach Adam Kingsley described his season start as merely "okay".

Fellow Giants academy product Nick Madden was given the nod as the club's preferred ruck before a knee injury opened the door for Briggs's return in round eight.

"Obviously, it wasn't the ideal way that I wanted to start the year, but I just needed to go back and find some form," Briggs told AAP.

"As Adam said, I probably wasn't playing bad, like I was playing okay, but it was probably not acceptable in my standards and in his.

"I won't say nice, but it was good to go back and find some confidence.

"I can't put my finger on it, really. If I had that answer, I'd be a pretty good psychologist, I reckon, but it's just narrowing focus on my strengths and what makes me valuable to the team.

"Coming back on the other side of it, it's probably been beneficial, just recapturing what my strengths are in the games."

Melbourne have been given a strong emotional call to arms for Sunday's clash and will be out to honour Demons great Neale Daniher, who died on Monday.

The refreshed Demons have exceeded external expectations and soared up the ladder under new coach Steven King, sitting sixth (7-4).

Former Demons star Clayton Oliver, who has similarly been rejuvenated since making the move to GWS last season, is set to play against his former side for the first time.

Gawn - as always - will be a mighty foe for Briggs, with the Demons skipper in contention for a record ninth All-Australian blazer after averaging 31 hitouts and 6.1 clearances to start the season.

"Max has been a champion of the game for so long, and I look up to him and what he's been able to do," Briggs said.

"We'll obviously just try and focus on my game, but he's clearly a very important player to their system and their young group.

"Clarry (Clayton Oliver), in his own right, has been going super well this year - if you look at stats across contested possession, clearances, he's number one in a lot of them. 

"If he's at a Melbourne club, it would probably get spoken about a lot more, so he's in flying form."