GWS coach says ‘bold’ Giants considering AFL game in USA
As the Giants engage in preliminary talks to take the AFL to the USA, Coach Leon Cameron says the “bold and aggressive” GWS was always exploring new ways to promote the club.
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GWS coach Leon Cameron is open to the idea of a game in the USA.
While the next stop is Melbourne for a Thursday night clash with Essendon, the US could be on the horizon if early discussions on a potential Giants game stateside come to fruition.
“We’ve been a club that hasn’t been shy in terms of trying to promote our footy club in different ways,” Cameron said.
“The thing I like about our footy club is we’re bold and we want to be aggressive in terms of promoting the game but also promoting our footy club.
“As Kevin Sheedy always said, you’ve got to keep exploring ways to grow our game because footy’s such a great spectacle to watch.”
Cameron said he is relishing a chance for the ‘bold and aggressive’ Giants to break new ground as he challenges his players to stand tall in the glare of the national spotlight.
Essendon awaits GWS at Marvel Stadium and it’s a huge opportunity for the visitors to display their wares to a wider audience, live on free-to-air television.
Although the Giants’ only other Thursday night outing was a 2017 finals defeat to Adelaide,
Cameron said the extra attention should be something to embrace, not fear.
“It’s our first (regular season) Thursday night game, which is exciting for our guys,” Cameron said.
“There’s going to be a lot of eyes watching. But the more experiences we have in that, the better off we are.
“We are an eight-year-old club. We’re not babies any more, we need to stand up and be men and Thursday night footy promotes that opportunity. We understand it’s going to be scrutinised heavily.
“But we need to bring that on to our footy club because ultimately that makes us better.
“Maybe three or four years ago it might have been a little bit overwhelming because of crowds, scrutiny and more media attention. Now the challenge for us is to make sure we stand up to it.”
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After a break for the bye, Cameron has returned to more speculation surrounding star midfielder Stephen Coniglio.
Former Giant Adam Treloar said Coniglio would find it difficult to resist the lure of a big Melbourne club but Cameron remained unworried. Indeed, he feels ever-confident over a new deal for the 25-year-old.
He pointed to how Josh Kelly had taken his time before agreeing a new contract in 2017.
“Are we closer (on Coniglio)? I think we, are but until he signs on the dotted line you guys (the media) will keep writing and asking the questions,” the Giants coach said.
“Like everything, you’d want it signed, done and dusted but there’s no indication Stephen’s not happy at our footy club so I think it’ll just naturally take its course.
“What we’ve probably learnt as a footy club is that it just takes time. Again, I’ll reiterate, he’s in a really good place, he’s playing some great footy and those talks are progressing really well.”
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