AFL Gather Round Richmond v Fremantle: Live updates and SuperCoach scores

When the Giants and Saints go to battle on Sunday, it won’t be their first or last this year – there is plenty going on between the two sides off the field. But GWS star Josh Kelly isn’t worried.

Josh Kelly admits there might be a few exchanges between the Saints and Giants this weekend as Ross Lyon’s side continues to make plays for off-contract GWS players.

St Kilda are believed to have offered the biggest deal in AFL history to young midfielder Finn Callaghan – around $18 million over 10 years – to tempt him away from Western Sydney earlier this season. The 21-year-old eventually rejected the bid and recommitted to the Giants.

Now, the Saints are upping the ante in their chase for fringe defender Leek Aleer with a long-term deal worth nearly $900,000 a season on the table.

But Kelly can sense the Giants are slowly gaining the upper hand in their prolonged battle to convince players to stay in Sydney.

While many stars have returned home in their 13-year history, Kelly was one of the first to stand strong and stay in the orange and charcoal. North Melbourne made big plays for Kelly in both 2019 and 2021, however, the Giants’ vice-captain turned down their advances, signing an eight-year extension to take his career with GWS through to the end of 2029.

And Kelly is delighted to know that his decision has been backed up by the likes of Callaghan following suit years later and remaining at the Giants long into the future.

Despite North Melbourne’s strong advances, Kelly always remained true to the Giants. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

“There might be a few things (said against St Kilda),” Kelly joked. “Finn might mention a few things if anything.

“I think it is reassuring in that sense. There have been players that have left over the years, but I think we’re in a spot now where the club is really solidified with a strong culture and goals, and we continue to build on that.

“Having guys like Finn, Connor Idun, Toby Bedford recently re-signed as well, we’re all working towards the same goal, and we’re really passionate about that.

“It all comes together to form a really strong football club. For me, that’s what I’ve felt since day one when I got to the club. It was a big part of the reason why I stayed and that’s what we want to keep going forward for sure.”

It helps that the depth of talent at the Giants has never been better. While their full-strength side demolished West Coast last Sunday, earlier in the day, their VFL team defeated Sandringham by 108 points.

In that game, Nathan Wardius kicked eight goals, Max Gruzewski kicked four and 11 different Giants had 20+ disposals – including midfielders Harry Rowston, Jack Ough and Toby McMullin who each finished with 30+ disposals and a goal.

Kelly has become an integral part of the Giants over the past decade, and believes they’re currently as strong as ever. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Kelly believes it’s a sign of the high standards that start at training, with no player confident their place in the senior team is ever guaranteed.

“(Culture) starts around the club, helping each other individually and getting the best out of yourself so you can perform on game day,” he said.

“The depth is outstanding. We’ve got a lot of players pushing for selection, and when your club’s set up like that, only good things come from it.

“The boys playing AFL football, there’s definitely that back of the mind. You want to perform because the spots are tight at the moment.

“Training’s at a high level, we have two sessions a week at a high intensity. Standard guys like Toby (Greene) and Tom Green lead the charge. But our young boys are really level in terms of that. Everyone reaches those standards.

“We’ve got a group of guys that get along and want to win a flag. We’re all moving in that same direction. That’s the reason why we have people hanging around and have had a few big re-signings. The club is full of great people who want to achieve the ultimate success.”

The Giants will need to be at their best to defeat a resurgent St Kilda side in Gather Round. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Giants won’t lack any motivation for their battle against the Saints at Norwood Oval. One of the biggest surprise packets of the season so far, St Kilda have won 11 of their past 16 matches and have become the second-best side in the AFL at scoring points from turnover.

They’ve also completely turned around their midfield game, going from the second-worst team in the competition of turning clearances into scores in 2024, to the third best.

While it was against a struggling West Coast side, Kelly is confident that the form they found through the middle against the Eagles will put them in good stead for the clash.

“If you’re off in any area, you’re going to get exposed,” Kelly said. “We had a strong mindset (against West Coast) of being aggressive, hunting the footy and defensively being really strong.

“Centre bounces and stoppage areas, we’ve had a focus in the past few weeks. To have patches where we were really strong and impacted the scoreboard was pleasing. We’ll take that from the game and apply that going forward.”

Originally published as AFL Gather Round Richmond v Fremantle: Live updates and SuperCoach scores