Josh Kelly, Heath Shaw and Sam Reid add to Giants injury list but can’t stop GWS beating Adelaide
A NASTY Taylor Walker sling tackle on superstar Josh Kelly has overshadowed the Giants heroic win over Adelaide in Canberra as Heath Shaw and Sam Reid join the club’s mounting casualty ward.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A NASTY Taylor Walker sling tackle on superstar Josh Kelly has overshadowed the Giants heroic 14-point win over Adelaide in Canberra.
Kelly was out cold for close to a minute after the Walker tackle bounced his head on the UNSW Oval turf.
He eventually regained consciousness and jogged off unassisted but didn’t return for the rest of the critical match.
AFL BLOG: RE-CAP ALL THE SUPER SATURDAY ACTION
MATCH CENTRE: GIANTS, CROWS SUPERCOACH POINTS
GWS players remonstrated with Walker after the clash and he will certainly draw the attention of the MRO.
The usually reserved Canberra crowd also found their voice booing the Crows skipper at every opportunity for the remainder of the match.
The incident is sure to ignite more debate surrounding the introduction of a red card.
“Tackles (Like this) happen,” Giants coach Leon Cameron said.
“Clubs have gone above and beyond (to stop) the sling tackle. These things are going to happen, if there is a report there’s a report, we can’t say from one tackle the sling tackle is back.”
The incident is sure to ignite more debate surrounding the introduction of a red card.
It wasn’t a punch or an elbow but Walker’s illegal action cost GWS their best player and left them a man down at a crucial time in the game.
“I know the red card is a hot topic,” Cameron said.
“My opinion is we aren’t there, it’s a brutal game but not that brutal. I know we have had the Andrew Gaff incident and Jeremy Cameron but the game is in terrific nick.”
Cameron praised his team’s ability to recover and overcome injury to claim another crucial win.
“Reid has been assessed for a hamstring but we don’t know if it’s neural or actually a hamstring,” he said.
“Shaw doesn’t look great but they don’t think it’s an ACL so looks like a PCL but we won’t know how long until scans on Monday.
“Kelly has a bit of a headache, he’s not just an outstanding footballer but he’s a tough cookie.
“It was an outstanding win, the boys are finding a way when the chips are down and things are not going their way.”
The clash changed the momentum of the game with Kelly’s teammates momentarily shocked.
Goals to Bryce Gibbs and David Mackay closed the gap to just seven points late in the third term.
The Giants eventually regained their composure and rallied in Kelly’s absence with Lachie Whitfield leading with way with another stunning display.
The defender-midfielder finished with 30 disposals for the night and was almost perfect with all of them as he set up continual forward thrusts.
Dylan Shiel, Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio and Jacob Hopper also stood up when it counted the most and claimed the honours in a red hot midfield battle with Gibbs, Rory Sloane, Matt Crouch and Hugh Greenwood.
They also had plenty of support from a gutsy forward line with Jeremy Cameron, Harry Himmelberg and Aiden Bonar all kicking two goals.
Bonar was a real surprise packet playing in just his second game, his strong contested marking and tackling were again a feature after a bright debut last week.
Unfortunately for GWS the horrid injury run didn’t stop with Kelly.
Experienced defender Heath Shaw was stretchered off in the last quarter after suffering what looked to be a nasty knee injury.
Shaw has barely missed a game through injury in his five years at GWS and if he does will leave a massive hole in their backline.
Sam Reid also limped off midway through the third quarter with a corked thigh leaving the Giants with just one fit player on the bench for the entire last quarter.
As bad as the situation was it still didn’t match the scenario of last week against Carlton when they were had four unfit players on the bench.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 4.4 6.9 11.14 15.16 (106)
ADELAIDE 4.3 7.7 10.9 13.14 (92)
BEST
Giants: L.Whitfield, S.Coniglio, C.Ward, D.Shiel, J.Hopper, A.Bonar
Crows: M.Crouch, B.Smith, B.Gibbs, R.Sloane, J.Jenkins, T.Lynch, R.Laird
GOALS
Giants: Bonar 2, Himmelberg 2, Cameron 2, Hopper 2, Coniglio 2, Lobb, Whitfield, Griffen, Shiel, Kelly
Crows: Jenkins 3, Murphy 2, Lynch 2, Gibbs 2, Douglas, Mackay, Betts, Walker
VOTES
3. Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
2. Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
1. Matt Crouch (Adel)
Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >