GWS Giants setting no limits on what they can achieve in AFL finals

GWS have blown away their own expectations this season, but now they’re playing finals for the first time they are setting no limits on what they can achieve in September.

The Giants’ Jonathon Patton (left) celebrates a goal against North Melbourne on Saturday.

GWS have blown away their own expectations this season, but now they’re playing finals for the first time they are setting no limits on what they can achieve in September.

And their campaign begins with the dream scenario — a qualifying final against cross-town rivals the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium on Saturday week.

Giants chairman Tony Shepherd revealed on Sunday the club’s top four finish has exceeded even their own goals.

There is a buzz about the AFL’s newest team and even the game’s former boss, Andrew Demetriou, is feeling the vibe, sending a message of support to the team he helped create.

The Giants’ Jonathon Patton (left) celebrates a goal against North Melbourne on Saturday.

It’s little wonder he’s getting behind the club after committing the AFL to a $220 million investment at the end of 2008.

Even three years ago the massive outlay looked questionable when the team had won just three games in their first two years and their marquee player Israel Folau walked out after one season and 13 games.

Fellow expansion club the Gold Coast Suns started a year before GWS and signed the game’s best player in Gary Ablett.

But the Giants are light ahead and the players are lining up to walk out of the Suns.

“To be in the top four in year five is remarkable,” Shepherd told The Daily Telegraph.

“I keep pinching myself. Our KPI (Key Performance Indicator) was 12 to 14 wins this season so to win 16 is amazing especially when you know how hard it is to win a game. Now the hard stuff starts. We had a celebration now we knuckle down.”

Cross-town rivals the Swans and GWS will face wach other in an epic first week of the AFL finals. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The common wisdom in most football codes is you have to contend before you can win a premiership but in an open season the Giants look like they could break the mould and have a swagger about them which belies their experience.

Livewire small forward Devon Smith is clearly thinking, why not the Giants?

“We’ve won two games (2012), one game (2013), seven games (2014), 11 games (2015) and now top four so who knows how far we can go,” Smith said.

“We’re here and I think we’re ready. With such a young and exciting group we are going to take the game on, it’s one of our biggest strengths and that’s what Leon encourages us to do. We’ve got a lot of confident young boys and we’re really looking forward to it.”

Much has been made of the Giants’ talent laden playing list but what has set the 2016 season apart from the others is their ability to win ugly.

The victory over North Melbourne on Saturday was a perfect example. The Kangaroos led early as they rode an emotional week following the announcement of the end of season retirements of Brent Harvey, Michael Furrito, Drew Petrie and Nick Dal Santo.

GWS weathered the storm and more than one challenge to claim their first win against North.

“We hadn’t won in Perth, we hadn’t won in Adelaide, we hadn’t beaten Richmond and we hadn’t beaten North Melbourne, the list goes on and on,” Smith said.

“We haven’t played finals so we’re looking to tick that one off as well.”

As GWS players and staff gathered in the rooms at Etihad Stadium to celebrate their first ever finals appearance the first message of congratulations on Shepherd’s phone came from Demetriou.

“Tony, great effort in reaching top four, really proud of you all,” the message read.

“It’s a heart-felt message which I was really touched by and it was the first one I got after the siren on Saturday,” Shepherd said.

“This is very much a part of his legacy and of course Gill (McLachlan) was deeply involved in setting up the club. They’ve both invested a lot of their personal reputation in the expansion of the AFL and in the Giants.

“They were ridiculed by the media, Melbourne and Sydney but in Sydney in particular, they said it would never work, well they can eat their hats.”

Originally published as GWS Giants setting no limits on what they can achieve in AFL finals