The GWS Giants will finally call on goalkicker Jesse Hogan to take on Adelaide

Last week GWS coach Leon Cameron teased those keen to see Jesse Hogan in action, but this week there’s no such games.

GWS Giants recruit Jesse Hogan will make his club debut on Saturday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Jesse Hogan will add “firepower” when he plays his first game for Greater Western Sydney on Saturday alongside best and fairest Lachie Whitfield, who is set jump straight to the AFL in his return from a serious liver issue.

Last week Giants coach Leon Cameron hinted at a possible debut for Hogan, who signed a one-year deal with the club this season, but didn’t pick him to play the Western Bulldogs.

There’s no such teasing this week, and after four more VFL goals from Hogan last week Cameron, who knows there will be plenty of eyes on the 26-year-old, said he was ready to play.

“It‘s his first AFL game for a long time, but he’s put himself out there and that’s what we like,” Cameron said. .

“He‘s settled well. He‘s training really, really hard.

“I know he‘s a player of interest and people will look at him closely.

“He can … add a bit of firepower. We probably need to find another couple of goals. He’s been in form in the VFL and thoroughly deserves his spot.”

Four goals in three quarters for Jesse Hogan for the Giants in the VFL tonight and he’s looking much like he did when he won the Casey Scorpions’ b&f as a kid in 2013: a little too good for state league football.

— Paul Amy (@PaulAmy375) April 22, 2021

The Giants have won two of six games and have to beat the Crows to keep their season alive.

That makes the selection of Whitfield, who will bypass the VFL, a bold call.

Lachie Whitfield will go straight to the AFL this week for his season debut for the Giants. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Cameron said he wouldn’t be expecting “miracles” from Whitfield, who won the club champion award last season before a training accident during pre-season in February left him with a bruised liver.

“It‘s a huge ask because he’s been out for 12 weeks. We don’t expect miracles,” Cameron said.

“His fitness is at a good level. His footy fitness will probably take about three or four weeks to get rolling.

“He‘s been training for four or five weeks … he’s been building every week.

“Lachie Whitfield is a really important player to our structure.”

Whitfield is set to replace star defender Nick Haynes, who hurt his hamstring in the loss to the Bulldogs.

Cameron also revealed that football manager Jason McCartney spoke to the players after he was fined $20,000 for a mid-match verbal clash with umpires last week.

The Giants will pay the fine for what Cameron said was a “poor decision”.

“We‘re not going to get everything right,” Cameron said.

“What happened last week was not right.

“We put our hand up, we got it wrong and move on.

“We got our right whack, you make poor decisions sometimes.”

Originally published as The GWS Giants will finally call on goalkicker Jesse Hogan to take on Adelaide