Mick McGuane: Friday night’s GF rematch between GWS and Richmond is a line in the sand moment for Leon Cameron’s men
The Giants have the chance to reignite their season and atone for a disastrous Grand Final against Richmond. But one tactic tonight would be playing right into the Tigers’ hands, writes footy analyst Mick McGuane.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Welcome to Greater Western Sydney’s line-in-the-sand moment.
As good as Leon Cameron’s group has been since 2016, the expectation – given their talented playing list – has always been a premiership.
So far, that flag hasn’t come.
A flogging from Richmond in last year’s Grand Final gave rise to a belief that the Giants could go one step further in 2020.
I know from experience you are entitled to nothing in AFL football.
You have to work for it; you have to earn it. Collectively!
Brett Deledio’s comments this week about the Giants playing like a bunch of 22 individuals rather than as a collective team this season were fascinating.
Kayo is your ticket to the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Watch every match of every round Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
The big question mark on the Giants is whether their individuality too often usurps the team ethos.
The great NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson got it right when he said: “Selflessness is the soul of teamwork.”
Very good teams become great teams when everyone surrenders the “me” for the “we”.
That’s not happening at the Giants so far in 2020.
What better way than to change that against the team that embarrassed you on the AFL’s biggest stage in 2019.
RETURN THE HUNT AND GRUNT
It’s all about the contest!
The Giants must return to the combative style that got them through to the past four finals series when they were strong around clearances and contested possession.
To beat the Tigers on Friday night, they must rediscover those two facets.
Richmond gives you a chance at stoppages.
In its four wins this year, Richmond has had a positive differential in scores from stoppages (+21 v Melbourne, +10 v Carlton, +5 v Sydney and +7 v North Melbourne).
The Tigers were -12 in the draw with Collingwood.
In the losses they were -18 against Hawthorn and -17 against St Kilda.
Both Richmond and GWS are in the negative for clearance differentials this season – the Giants are 13th and the Tigers are 15th.
On Friday, there will be an opportunity for last year’s runners-up to get urgent again in the contest and get their season back on track.
So, winning the contest – aerially and at ground level – must be at the forefront of the players’ minds.
INSIDE 50 WOES
The Giants have registered the lowest return for inside-50s in the AFL this year and are also the worst team for forward-half pressure.
In a competition that requires a strong forward-half game, this inadequacy, unless it improves quickly, will see them miss finals in 2020.
The Giants haven’t won an inside-50 count in seven games this season.
That’s embarrassing, given their depth of talent.
Without winning clearance and contested ball, don’t expect to win the territory battle against Richmond.
Also, their current slow ball movement won’t challenge the Tigers because they set up the ground so well defensively.
Tiger defenders Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes and Nathan Broad crave a slow build-up and down-the-line ball movement.
The challenge for the Giants is to get a better balance of fast versus slow ball movement.
They are playing slow and boring football now.
If they do that on Friday night, it will play right into the Tigers’ trap.
Keeping the ball in motion at speed fuels Richmond’s pressure game.
That’s why knowing when to go fast and when not to is important.
There will be opportunities to play fast.
The Giants must have the courage and a conviction to kick through the corridor and/or look to switch the ball to the open side to shift the ball.
They must give their forwards more looks.
The Giants are one of the best teams for scoring efficiency.
The problem in 2020 has been the ball doesn’t go into attack often enough.
There is a breakdown in their defensive system. It lacks assertiveness, trust and communication.
The blowtorch must be applied on all forwards, including Jeremy Cameron, Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson to start applying more pressure.
The phrase should be “NO EASY OUTS.”
SINS OF SEPTEMBER PAST
Some individuals face some of their own demons on Friday night against the club that toyed with them last September.
Finlayson was averaging 12 disposals going into last year’s Grand Final, but he had ONE disposal in the Grand Final. Is there any psychological scarring from his experience?
Jacob Hopper didn’t produce when it counted, going from 26 disposals to 19 on Grand Final day.
Josh Kelly had his output almost halved, down from an average of 28 disposals to 15.
Lachie Whitfield was coming back from appendicitis, but went from 27 touches to 14 on Grand Final day.
There are a lot of players who had below par performances.
Was it that they just wilted against a ruthless and committed opposition on the biggest day in a footballers life?
Time to conquer your fears.
TIGERS’ FORMLINE
I don’t know what to make of Richmond’s formline, having beaten North Melbourne (54 points), Sydney (8) and Melbourne (27) in its last three games.
Winning is good form, but the Kangaroos were insipid last week.
The Tigers are missing so many stars at the moment, but the Giants players can ill afford to allow their minds to get comfortable and think the task of winning will now be made easier.
They can’t be lulled into a false sense of security against a team without Trent Cotchin, Dion Prestia, Bachar Houli, Shane Edwards, Toby Nankervis, Josh Caddy and David Astbury.
That’s seven premiership players!
This ‘cushion of advantage’ can create a vulnerability that doesn’t exist.
Underestimate Jack Higgins, Derek Eggmolesse-Smith, Jake Aarts, Noah Balta and Mabior Chol at your peril.
Richmond is a system-based team so the Giants have to concentrate on who’s playing, not who’s missing.
PROTECTION NEEDED
Richmond forwards like to get high up the ground, so the Giants need to employ a goalkeeper in the old-fashioned sense.
The Tigers have a metres-gained mentality, by kicking or handballing the ball forward.
If there is only grass ahead of them, they will still kick it there and turn it into a foot race.
Good luck when you are locked in a race back to the goal line against Daniel Rioli, Shai Bolton, Jason Castagna and Kane Lambert.
That’s why the Giants must use Heath Shaw as a goalkeeper to protect that Tigers’ forward motion style that everyone knows they play.
In essence you are still playing an aggressive 18-man press, but always have a player out the back.
For any press to succeed pressure and power at the ball is a priority.
If that doesn’t exist, the defenders start to second guess whether to continue pressing or go into retreat mode knowing Richmond’s mosquito fleet will be charging towards their goals.
The goalkeeper should be able to influence that hurried Tigers’ kick forward.
Shaw is experienced, he sees the game well and must be the traffic cop the Giants need tonight.
Just like Grimes does for Richmond.
MORE FOOTY NEWS
GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron concedes Brett Deledio’s frank form assessment has some truth
Lachie Neale kicks easiest goal after GWS Giants switch off
AFL 2020: Veteran says GWS will be ‘like water’ in ever-changing season
Originally published as Mick McGuane: Friday night’s GF rematch between GWS and Richmond is a line in the sand moment for Leon Cameron’s men