GWS Giants draft picks will make them better in 2019

GWS Giants were the big improvers in 2018 and their draft picks ahead of next season were chosen for how they can drive the club to the next level again.

Alyce Parker of the Giants was the club’s first pick. Pic: AAP

A FIRST pick who had to leave from the draft to sit an HSC exam. A cross code talent who’s come from a WBBL squad to try her luck in AFLW. The first ever Torres Strait Islander to play in the AFLW.

These are just a few of the players GWS Giants picked up in yesterday’s draft in an effort to boost skill, speed and add a bit of mongrel in season 2019.

The Giants were a surprise packet of 2018, finishing in fourth spot on the ladder after many expected them to claim their second wooden spoon.

Alyce Parker ducked off for HSC exams after being the Giants’ first pick. Pic: AAP

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But coach Alan McConnell, who took over last season, brought in a raft of experience players and older heads to guide the side and he’s used this year’s draft to fill gaps in an effort to continue to club’s growth next year.

“Basically we had three criteria that we wanted girls to look to try to meet,” he said.

“We wanted to add to our skill level, we wanted to add to our speed and we wanted to add to our grunt, I guess, our ability to compete around the ball.

“We think we drafted girls who in most cases tick at least two of the three boxes, because it’s difficult to find the perfect player but we think we’ve put together a group of girls who bring a combination of all those things to our group.

Brittany Perry was Salisbury’s 2018 best and fairest.Pic: AAP

And has played cricket for South Australia. Pic: Tricia Watkinson

“We made significant gains relative to the rest of the competition in a number of areas and I guess those areas are ones we felt we needed to address if we were going to take another step in the competition.”

GWS’s first pick, Alyce Parker, is a midfielder from Holbrook in southern NSW and two-time under-18 All Australian.

The youngster squashed her attendance at the draft into her HSC schedule, leaving the event to sit an Agriculture exam before flying back last night to sit her biology exam this morning.

With her final exams behind her, focus will shift to AFLW pre-season and McConnell thinks GWS fans will like what they see.

“She fits the bill in all three of those qualities (we wanted),” he said.

“All Australian under-18 captain speaks for the level of talent. She has a booming left foot kick, she’s tough in the contest, had great agility and a really good don’t argue when somebody tries to tackle her.

Delma Gisu playing for Townsville. Pic: Evan Morgan

“I think our supporters will enjoy watching her play.”

Alongside her will be Brittany Perry, a South Australian who has played state level cricket, including being part of the Adelaide Strikers squad last WBBL season, and Delma Gisu from Mer Island in the Torres Strait.

The club will work closely with Gisu and her family to help her settle in Sydney as they start pre-season preparations.

The AFLW has expanded to include North Melbourne and Geelong this season but with the season still at seven rounds, McConnell said there was still no room for error and all the work now will be on keeping his side fit and able to fire from round one.

“The reality is in a seven-week season you can’t afford to get too much wrong,” he said.

“You have a couple of bad quarters and it can hurt you badly in terms of the end result. The competition is pretty even. We went from last to third in the season just gone but it would be just as easy to slide the other way if we don’t get things right.

“We’re up for the fight and looking forward to the challenges.”

Haneen Zreika continues her push through the GWS ranks. Pic: AAP

GWS Giants AFLW draft picks

Alyce Parker (Pick 12: Midfielder, Thurgoona Bulldogs (North Eastern Border Female Football League); Brittany Perry (Pick 43: Midfielder, North Adelaide (SANFLW); Lisa Whiteley (Pick 54: Defender/forward, South Adelaide (SANFLW); Ingrid Nielsen (Pick 60: Ruck/forward, UNSW-ES Bulldogs (AFL Sydney); Renee Tomkins (Pick 65: Defnder/ruck, Penrith-Auburn GIANTS (AFL Sydney)/GIANTS); Delma Gisu (Pick 67: Forward, Wilston Grange (QWAFL); Haneen Zrieka (Pick 69: Defender/midfielder, Penrith-Auburn GIANTS (AFL Sydney)/GIANTS); Ebony O’Dea (Pick 71: Defender/midfielder, Norwood (SANFLW)

2019 GIANTS AFLW List

Jacinda Barclay, Nicola Barr, Rebecca Beeson, Elle Bennetts, Christina Bernardi, Yvonne Bonner, Ellie Brush, Maddy Collier, Jess Dal Pos, Taylah Davies, Alicia Eva, Amanda Farrugia, Delma Gisu, Courtney Gum, Tanya Hetherington, Jodie Hicks, Tait Mackrill, Erin McKinnon, Phoebe Monahan, Ingrid Nielsen, Ebony O’Dea, Alyce Parker, Brittany Perry, Pepa Randall, Aimee Schmidt, Cora Staunton, Louise Stephenson, Emma Swanson, Renee Tomkins, Lisa Whiteley, Haneen Zrieka