AFL 2021: Take a deep dive into GWS’ prospects for 2021 with our award-winning experts

After last year’s slide, there are plenty of concerns at GWS. And the club’s leaders are at the top of the list. Our experts assess the Giants’ 2021 prospects.

Has the Ferarri stalled? After making the Grand Final in 2019, the Giants slipped out of the eight last year and then lost gun forward Jeremy Cameron to Geelong. Many see it as the beginning of a big slide for the Giants. But they still have oodles of talent on their list.

Take a look into our club deep dive to see how the year ahead might play out.

Simeon Thomas-Wilson’s six people who will define the Giants in 2021

Stephen Coniglio

Coniglio became the first full-time captain since John Worsfold in 1998 to be dropped. Whether he can bounce back from this will be one of the main things to watch from a Giants perspective in 2021. A star of the competition when firing, Coniglio will again take on captain responsibilities this year and will be hoping the added pressure doesn’t, again, impact him on the field. Those close to him have said getting dropped will light a fire within the star midfielder.

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Is Leon Cameron the man to lead the Giants? Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Leon Cameron

The Ferrari broke down in 2020 but Cameron still got the two-year contract extension the Giants had promised him after he took them to the Grand Final in 2019. Normally coaches who have signed a new deal aren’t under pressure less than six months after they ink the new contract. But there has long been debate about whether Cameron is the man to get the best out of the talented Giants list. After another off-season of departures, if the Giants start poorly and the premiership window looks to be closing, get ready for more questions to be raised about his suitability for the role.

Steve Johnson

One of the best key forwards in the game has departed, and, last year, the Giants looked toothless in attack during their slump. New GWS forwards coach Johnson has some big issues to fix upon his return to the Giants after three years at Sydney. Figuring out how to address the Jeremy Cameron-sized hole in the Giants attack will be the main one.

Jesse Hogan

GWS has taken a punt on the former Melbourne and Fremantle forward. But with Cameron now at Geelong, bringing Hogan to Western Sydney is a risk the Giants needed to take. The No. 2 pick of the 2012 mini-draft. only managed 19 games in two years for the Dockers but if the Giants can get him to the form he showed at times at Melbourne, then it will be a shrewd move by the club.

Toby Greene is likely to become more of a focal point for the Giants going forward in 2021. Picture: Toby Zerna

Toby Greene

If the Giants are to bounce back in 2021, then they need Greene to play more than the 13 times he took to the field in 2020. As damaging when he goes into the midfield as he is forward, expect Greene to be more of a focal point this year with Cameron gone.

Jason McCartney

Some big names left in the off-season and Josh Kelly is out of contract at the end of the season. If another Giants star chooses to leave, then the pressure will ramp up on McCartney come the end of this season.

BEST 22 FOR ROUND 1

B: Sam Taylor, Phil Davis, Jacob Wehr

HB: Isaac Cumming, Nick Haynes, Lachie Ash

C: Josh Kelly, Jacob Hopper, Harry Perryman

HF: Harry Himmelberg, Jake Riccardi, Matt de Boer

F: Toby Greene, Jeremy Finlayson, Brent Daniels

R: Matthew Flynn, Stephen Coniglio, Tim Taranto

Int: Tanner Bruhn, Tom Green, Callan Ward, Daniel Lloyd

INS & OUTS

INS: Jesse Hogan (Fremantle), Braydon Preuss (Melbourne), Tanner Bruhn (pick 12), Conor Stone (pick 15), Ryan Angwin (pick 18), Cameron Fleeton (pick 58), Jacob Wehr (pick 59), Will Shaw (Category B Rookie)

OUTS: Sam Jacobs (retired), Heath Shaw (delisted), Tom Sheridan (retired), Zac Williams (Carlton, free agent), Aidan Corr (North Melbourne, free agent), Zac Langdon (West Coast Eagles, trade), Jeremy Cameron (Geelong, trade), Jye Caldwell (Essendon, trade), Jackson Hately (pre-season draft)

The Giants have taken a punt on former Fremantle and Melbourne forward Jeremy Cameron. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

CHAMPION DATA

The good: Their ability to score from stoppages is a strength, averaging 24.4 points from a stoppage last season – ranked sixth.

The bad: The Giants midfield dropped off across 2020. They ranked seventh for contested possession differential, down from No.2 in 2019. They also ranked 13th for clearance differential, also down from No.2 in 2019.

After six matches: Three wins, three losses

Rd 1 v St Kilda (Giants Stadium) - L

Rd 2 v Fremantle (OS) - L

Rd 3 v Melbourne (Manuka) - W

Rd 4 v Collingwood (MCG) - L

Rd 5 v Sydney (SCG) - W

Rd 6 v Western Bulldogs (Manuka Oval) - W

Have some tough games in the first six rounds but also some games the Giants will back themselves to win. Collingwood at the MCG could be a vital game early on as to what we can expect from GWS this year.

EXPECTED FINISH

10th

The Giants should challenge for a top eight spot, given the talent they have, but can Leon Cameron arrest the 2020 slide? Cameron leaves a huge hole in the forward line while Zac Williams’ departure has robbed them of a huge weapon.

ROBBO’S LIKES AND DISLKES

LIKES

Giants still have top-range talent and if coach Leon Cameron can change the mechanics and mentality of his team, then finals would not surprise. It’s a big “if” because they went from grand finalists to 10th and commentators struggled to understand the Giants’ mode of football. Something has to change. Stephen Coniglio will be better placed, so will Tim Taranto, two gun mids who had poor 2020 seasons. Like Braydon Preuss in the ruck if he can get back from shoulder surgery, not sure about Jesse Hogan forward, and somehow the Giants need to work on keeping the pill in the forward-half. And surely the game plan can’t solely focus on stoppages. Look forward to seeing the strategy changes and seeing the development of Tom Green, Jake Riccardi, Lachie Ash and Taranto.

Will this be Josh Kelly’s final year at the Giants? Picture: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

DISLIKES

There’s hope more than confidence in the “likes” because so many questions hang over the coaching staff and the players. With Jeremy Cameron gone, the F50 contest falls to Jeremy Finlayson, Riccardi, Hogan and Harry Himmelberg. Not sure there’s a consistent match-winner in that group. Experts want their small-forwards to work harder defensively, but it’s more than that. The whole team has to work and think about their roles, which automatically demands selfless football. It’s time for Josh Kelly, Toby Greene, Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield to lead the team, not simply play in it.

VERDICT

Miss the eight

BURNING QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson joins Fox Footy experts Nick Riewoldt, David King, Leigh Montagna and Jordan Lewis to give their predictions for 2021 on GWS.

ROBBO: Are the Giants stalling or are they going?

ROOEY: They’re going backwards. Look at the players who have left — Cameron, Corr, Langdon, Williams and Heath Shaw, who was a contributor for them. And who’s arrived? Jesse Hogan is a desperation move and then there’s Braydon Preuss, so they’re not getting better. They still lack an identifiable game style. They’re still playing the talent game, so unless that changes they’re going backwards in a hurry.

JORDAN: I couldn’t agree more. The biggest challenge for Leon Cameron is both game style and then also how do you get these kids to play for each other?

Experts are concerned at the Giants seemingly lack of game style. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

ROBBO: Do you watch GWS play still and see selfish football?

JORDAN: Yes and maybe that comes through because they don’t have an identifiable game style, so there is no connection piece. The biggest challenge is to get them to play together. The Jesse Hogan inclusion really baffles me, it reeks of desperation. I see them stalling and going backwards.

ROBBO: Verdict, Joey?

JOEY: We saw a few years ago when they played on the edge and they were nasty and ruthless, but they still relied on talent a lot of that time. What do they stand for? They’re a fringe top eight side for mine. They still have a lot of talent but they need to drastically change their game style.

JORDAN: For me they will finish near where they finished in 2020, around ninth or 10th.

KINGY: I still think they’re a top-eight team and can finish as high as fifth.