Callan Ward 300: How ‘cement head’ became one of the most important figures in GWS Giants history
Callan Ward is the understated star who has quietly become one of the most pivotal AFL figures of the modern era. LACHLAN MCKIRDY delves into his impact ahead of Ward’s 300th game.
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Callan Ward is rarely one to pump his own tyres.
The Giants’ midfield general, or Cement Head as he became known by many, thrives on going about his business while other teammates excel around him.
But even Ward knows it’s important to make an exception.
At training this week, he had a specially marked pair of Asics boots with ‘300’ marked on both heels and the names of his wife, Ruby, and two kids, Ralfie and Romeo on the instep. It’s the first sign that this weekend is different for Ward.
When he runs out against Essendon on Saturday afternoon, the club he and his family supported as a kid, the 34-year-old will become just the 103rd person to reach 300 VFL/AFL games. It’s a milestone well beyond Ward’s wildest expectations.
“Over the last 17 years there’s been plenty of ups and downs and it’s a journey I’ve really enjoyed,” Ward said.
“I’ve got the kids’ names and wife, Ruby, and I’m proud to be wearing these this weekend.
“I thought this game would be a lot more similar to the 150, 200, 250 milestones, but this one does feel a bit bigger now.
“I’ll be forever indebted to this footy club for getting me up here. To be here for almost half my life, they’ve probably seen me grow from a boy into a man.
“I can only thank the Giants for that.”
WHY WARD WAS NUMBER ONE FOR THE GIANTS
Ward quickly established himself in the AFL as a player who loved responsibility.
After being drafted by the Western Bulldogs with the 19th pick of the 2007 draft, he juggled his first year of footy with completing year 12 at Williamstown High School. Twelve months later, he had established himself as part of the Dogs’ best 22 and played in back-to-back preliminary finals.
By the end of the 2011 campaign, the Giants were putting together the list for their first season in the AFL. While Ward was prepared to stay at the Dogs, a low-ball offer and the idea of an enticing project saw him move interstate.
“He was a critical piece in terms of what the club was trying to do,” inaugural Giants list manager Stephen Silvagni said.
“We knew he had some talent, he was a really great kick, and we knew that he was a fierce competitor. It was always going to be difficult trying to get a youngster out of a football club, but we just knew (we had to).
“The four young boys we ended up getting in Ward, Phil Davis, Tom Scully and also Rhys Palmer, they all had a really good work ethic in terms of wanting to get better.
“Even though Callan was only young at the time, we knew that he would show the boys the right way and that was critical as well.”
While the Giants also brought in experienced stars like Chad Cornes, Luke Power and Dean Brogan, Silvagni and the club’s coaching staff knew that the young players had to be the ones to drive the culture.
“I didn’t want to come by myself,” Davis said. “They really couldn’t tell me anything, it was very top secret.
“Just before I was about to commit (to the Giants), I heard whispers about Cal and Tom Scully. I had done a bit of recon work to find out more about Cal and you just heard great stories.
“As soon as he officially signed, we were legally allowed to talk. That first pre-season, the first conversation, you just got hit by his character. The biggest story of Cal’s career is the quality of person he is.”
THE EARLY YEARS OF LEADERSHIP
Ward was named as one of the club’s inaugural co-captains alongside Davis and Power as the expansion club quickly went from dream to reality.
There was already so much pressure on the pair of 21-year-olds to be the face of the Giants into the future that on-field leadership roles weren’t something they initially wanted.
“At the start, we were both reluctant,” Davis said. “With Cal being even more reluctant, both being 21 and finding our feet. We were lucky to be guided by Luke Power.
“We just knew that we had to take care of our own business. I was so fortunate to do it with Cal, his want to help people is enormous.
“I honestly can’t remember one disagreement that we had. We were so aligned and that’s what I think made it work so well.”
Ward hit the ground running in his first season in the orange and charcoal. He kicked the club’s first-ever goal against the Swans – “There was a trivia question on (the first goal) and I was the answer, so I was proud of that,” – and won the Giants’ best and fairest award in 2012.
But for Davis, Ward’s willingness to stand up in the toughest moments will always shine through. The Giants famously struggled in their second season in 2013, finishing with only one win. Yet, in that single victory, it was Ward who dragged them across the line.
“That second year for me, and probably Cal, was definitely the hardest at the time,” Davis said. “We both signed five-year deals and were a bit young to say anything else, so we just kept charging ahead.
Lot of love for Callan Ward post match. One of the good guys. #AFLCatsGiantspic.twitter.com/hlPldetxjB
— Michael Willson (@MichaelCWillson) April 13, 2019
“When we won against Melbourne, Cal got the three votes that day and basically won us that game.
“Across my career, he just always delivered. If he had a set shot, I knew he was gonna kick it. If it was a big tackle to be made, I knew he was going to make it. I just always knew and you don’t acknowledge how special that skill is enough.
“That was a particularly difficult period. Another year like that would have been a tough challenge, but I think when you can anchor towards a person like Cal, it makes it all seem far more achievable.”
HOW WARD FOUND THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
As Ward continued to go from strength to strength at the Giants, the club mirrored his own progression.
They went from easy beats to finals contenders in 2016. By 2019, they had made a grand final and quickly asserted themselves as one of the most exciting teams in the competition.
Throughout the period, Ward was at the heart of their success. He was named in the All-Australian squad on three occasions and captained the Giants for 157 games.
But in 2022, as GWS started to slide back down the table, Ward was left questioning his own football mortality. Even though he was only 50 games away from bringing up his landmark 300th, the milestone had never felt further away.
“I really wasn’t enjoying my football once I got to 250 (games),” Ward said. “I wasn’t playing good football and we were losing games.
“It was a slog at the time and I just didn’t think I could play another 50, to be honest.”
Ward wasn’t alone with the club going through its toughest period since 2013. Leon Cameron departed as coach, Mark McVeigh was instilled as interim and the club finished with just six wins for the year.
However, their incredible revival under Adam Kingsley last season coincided with a rejuvenated Ward. Despite being in the twilight of his career, he felt back to his younger self.
“I thought he still had plenty to give,” Kingsley said. “It was probably just the sugar hit of having new people through the door, not just myself, but a bunch of new staff coming in.
“Since we walked through the door, he’s been enormous in being able to sell the message that we want to sell, train the way that we want to train and play the way we want to play.
“He played a pivotal role in us recapturing some of the form of the past and he continues to do that.”
While he’s no longer a captain of the club, his determination and passion still set the standards for those around him.
After an AC joint injury against Collingwood in the opening round, he was expected to be out for up to eight weeks. He was back on the field within a month and playing his first VFL game for the club, three weeks ahead of schedule.
He also plays an intangible role as the figurehead of the group. Whether it’s intense table tennis battles at Giants’ HQ or external pilates sessions where he ends up on the floor in fits of laughter, he has an extraordinary ability to find a connection with anyone.
“He’s got something in common with every single person,” Lachie Ash said. “He goes out of his way to make sure everyone’s going okay, he’s a father figure for the group.
“We do pilates together on a Tuesday … halfway through we’re rolling around on the floor.
“Coming in as a young kid I had Wardy alongside me, after watching him on TV for so long. Everyone in the club loves him and idolises him. He’s just unbelievable.”
“To be here now is really exciting,” Ward added. “The club has really turned around in the past couple of years and guys enjoy being here.”
THE PREMIERSHIP ELIXIR
There’s only one thing missing from Ward’s long list of accomplishments: an elusive premiership.
He’s played in five losing preliminary finals, the most heartbreaking of which was when he was subbed out with concussion in the Giants’ loss to the Bulldogs in 2016. He also missed the majority of the 2019 season through an ACL injury when they made the grand final.
It means Ward has unfinished business. The Giants are well placed to finally fulfil his destiny in 2024, and if they do, Ward knows that it would be his last action on the footy field.
“The more you go on and the older you get, the more you realise that time is starting to run out,” Ward said. “I want to play in a premiership, it’s all I want to do.
“The reason why we all play football is to play in a premiership. Especially once you get to 300 games, you really want to play in a premiership and I haven’t done that.
“There’s a good feel at the moment in this footy club. The way we play, the system and the game plan, it’s enjoyable at the moment.
“We’re all in it for that one goal, and hopefully, we can do that.”
But to boil down Ward’s career as a summary of his accolades is an oversimplification of one of the most important players in the AFL this century.
The Giants have had many influential figures walk through their doors, yet, it’s not hyperbole to say the club wouldn’t be where they are today without Callan Ward at the helm.
“There was a time early on that a lot of people saw the Giants as a breeding ground, let them get all the top players and then get them home,” Silvagni said.
“But being able to maintain those early picks? Callan has been part of that to have a culture up there that players want to stay.
“Even though they haven’t achieved the ultimate, they’re a really good chance this year. I’d love to see that club, but also him, get something they deserve.”
“If you look back on the history, there’s lots of different stakeholders in a football club,” Davis added. “But in my mind, there’s not one person I think has had a bigger impact than Cal.
“Things happened because of Cal. From Tony Shepherd to Kevin Sheedy to Dave Matthews, no one has had the impact on the club that Cal has had.”
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