Aatrox and GA: Intended Effect?

@Riot

When Aatrox dies with GA, he stays dead for so long that he will lose his passive stacks, nearly ensuring that if he revives he will die without reviving from his passive. The only way I found to counter this is to have a damaging aura like Bami's Cinder/Sunfire/Cinderhulk and hope that an enemy champion stays close to your body while you are reviving from GA (as this counts as staying 'in combat')

I'm aware that Zac and Anivia also have this interaction where their GA takes priority over their revive passive, but Aatrox is the one primarily being harmed by this item effect. I also find it a little weird that GA takes priority anyway, since GA is supposed to prevent 'death' and the revive passive activating on ANY of these champions second to GA seems weird. May I please ask what the reasoning behind this is? I'm not trying to be rude, I'm simply curious. Thanks!