AFL 2023: Harry Himmelberg turns back on free agency to re-sign at GWS on monster deal

Another big name is off the AFL free agency market with Harry Himmelberg re-signing with the Giants for life. He opens up on the deal that saw him shun significant rival interest.

Himmelberg is set to stay a Giant for life. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Harry Himmelberg believes a premiership is just around the corner at the Giants after he signed on for a monster new six-year deal on Thursday.

The 27-year-old was one of the biggest off-contract stars going into this year’s free agency but always appeared likely to put pen to paper with the Giants.

Cross-town rivals Sydney was reportedly eager to poach him, while a slew of Victorian clubs also showed interest.

But those advances never made it past the preliminary stages with Himmelberg’s new contract to take him through to the end of 2029 and make him a Giant for life.

“We didn’t get too down far the path of other clubs. I always saw myself being a Giant and that’s how it’s turned out which has got me over the moon,” Himmelberg said.

“We’ve got such a young core that are playing consistent footy. That goes to show how good the culture is and what Kingers (Adam Kingsley) and the other coaches have created and how it’s blossoming.

“It’s a testament to the culture and the feeling the club is creating. It gives me full confidence we’ll be pushing for the next little bit for that premiership.”

Harry Himmelberg will be a Giant for life. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Himmelberg grew up in Wagga Wagga playing a variety of sports but was picked up by the Giants Academy as a teenager.

He then moved to Canberra to further his footy career before being picked up in the first round of the 2015 draft.

Himmelberg has played 145 games for the Giants since making his debut in 2016 and has kicked 160 goals.

While it wasn’t the main factor in his decision, being able to honour the loyalty shown to him by the Giants played into signing a long-term deal.

“It was really important [to remain a one-club man],” he said.

“I wouldn’t be in the system if the (Giants’) Academy didn’t give me a chance as a 19-year-old. It’s good to be able to repay the faith.”

Toby Bedford told us we had to use the generic Wolf of Wall Street video 🍊 #BigBigSoundpic.twitter.com/7PrgQgRNsb

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) August 3, 2023

Himmelberg has gained a reputation for his versatility at the Giants with his ability to play forward or back a real bonus for Kingsley.

However, he has enjoyed the consistency of playing in defence across GWS’ seven-game winning streak. While he’s happy to play wherever he is needed, his coach hopes to be able to keep giving him that stability each week.

“There’s no coincidence that the moment he’s gone back, I think defensively we’ve been very strong,” Kingsley said.

“There’s more than just Harry of course. As a group, they work really well together. I see him predominantly as a back. But he has that knack of being able to go forward.

“The fact that he’s backed us in, what he thinks we could become … we’re really proud of where he thinks we can get to and it’s a great show of faith.”

Himmelberg stayed relatively removed from most of the discussions around his new contract but did have several conversations with Kingsley and Giants’ head of footy Jason McCartney about the direction the club was headed.

Himmelberg at training with Toby Greene on Thursday. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It didn’t take long to convince him that it was the right path, and within days McCartney was able to sit down with Himmelberg’s manager David Trotter to get a deal done.

Himmelberg is the latest Giant to put pen to paper with Lachie Ash, Xavier O’Halloran and Callum Brown all re-signing in recent weeks. On the back of a club record seven-game winning streak, it’s a great time to be around the club from western Sydney.

“You can really see the vision. I think we’re heading in the right direction and we’re going to push for years to come,” Himmelberg said.

“New coaches, new personnel … it’s always going to take some time to get there. But to put it together with wins in a row is the cream on top of that.

“I think the sky is the limit for us. We’ve beaten good teams now; we’ve played in finals-like games where we’ve shown we can run out games and show that grit.

“The race for finals is heating up a fair bit … fixing the little things we want to; I could see us going deep in finals for sure.”

Originally published as AFL 2023: Harry Himmelberg turns back on free agency to re-sign at GWS on monster deal