Mick McGuane: GWS Giants yet to unleash secret weapon Toby Greene in top four hunt
They were running hot to start the season, but have fallen back with the pack after a cool month and a half. MICK McGUANE assess the Giants’ season so far.
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They were running hot to start the season, but have fallen back with the pack after a cool month and a half.
Mick McGuane gives his grade for the Giants’ first half of the 2024 season.
MICK’S MID-SEASON REPORT RATING: B
Since a hot 5-0 start to the season, the Giants have been on the Big Freeze slide entering into colder waters.
They’ve won just two of six games since, but did return to the winners’ list with a spirited victory over Geelong at GMHBA Stadium before the bye.
Injuries to key personnel during this leaner period didn’t help, with Sam Taylor and Josh Kelly each missing two of the past six games, while Stephen Coniglio missed three.
But while they have been a little off their game at times, this is a team that generally does a lot right.
GWS has a great capacity to score, ranking fifth in the competition for average points for at 91.2 per game.
Jesse Hogan (31 goals) has been the standout there, along with Jake Riccardi (18 goals).
I’m liking what I’m seeing from young key forward Aaron Cadman (14 goals), who looks a progressive player and is benefiting from having some other strong targets alongside him.
The Giants are also managing to get games into smalls Toby Bedford and Harvey Thomas, who have both played every game this season.
Then there’s the interesting case of captain Toby Greene.
Yes, his impact has not quite been at the level we have come to expect, but Greene has still kicked 16 goals from 10 games this season.
He has also logged 15 goal assists and is averaging 7.2 score involvements — which no one seems to talk about.
I’m backing in Greene for a big second half of the season.
If he can return to his very best, it will bode well for the Giants.
One player who has been at his best is Connor Idun, who is one of the unsung heroes of the back-six.
He has been playing roles on talls and smalls and doesn’t lose many one-on-one contests.
Lachie Whitfield is also having a great year off halfback, averaging a career-high 28.7 disposals.
The Giants rank eighth for scores against, conceding an average of 79.5 points a game.
FINDING THE RIGHT MIDFIELD MIX
One area that Adam Kingsley’s team must work on in the second half of the season is its clearance game.
The Giants rank 16th in the competition for clearance differential and 15th for centre clearance differential.
Some of that can be attributed to the injuries to Kelly and Coniglio — but not all of it.
GWS needs to get its best onball combination in there more often and for me that is Kieran Briggs in the ruck and Tom Green, Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio at his feet.
That group — along with a little bit of Callan Ward — should be able to more than hold its own against most opposition sides.
I also wouldn’t be afraid to roll Toby Greene and Brent Daniels up into that part of the ground a little more often, especially while Kelly and Coniglio are on the sidelines.
STILL DANGEROUS
The bye last week might have come at the perfect time for the Giants.
I’m expecting a strong bounce-back from their pre-bye form slump — starting against Hawthorn in Launceston this week.
There aren’t many easy games in the run home, but we know that GWS is capable of getting on a roll.
Don’t forget the Giants won 11 of 13 games in the back half of last year to reach a preliminary final, which it lost by a point.
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