Off-season outlook: GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron under pressure in 2021 despite contract extension
GWS could be the team under most scrutiny in 2021 and its two best midfielders must lift to ease the pressure on coach Leon Cameron.
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They crashed from grand finalists to 10th last season and GWS coach Leon Cameron has a giant task to transform his side into contenders again.
Was 2020 just a blip on the radar for one of the AFL’s most talented lists or is there bigger issues at play in western sydney?
And what about Cameron, who only signed a new contract last year?
If he can’t get the best out of GWS after losing Jeremy Cameron and Zach Williams, will his position come under scrutiny?
Simeon Thomas-Wilson answers the big questions and previews the Giants’ 2021 prospects.
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OFF-SEASON
INS: Jesse Hogan (Fremantle), Braydon Preuss (Melbourne), Tanner Bruhn (pick 12), Conor Stone (pick 15), Ryan Angwin (pick 18), Cameron Fleeton (pick 58), Jacob Wehr (pick 59), Will Shaw (Category B Rookie)
OUTS: Sam Jacobs (retired), Heath Shaw (delisted), Tom Sheridan (retired), Zac Williams (Carlton, free agent), Aidan Corr (North Melbourne, free agent), Zac Langdon (West Coast Eagles, trade), Jeremy Cameron (Geelong, trade), Jye Caldwell (Essendon, trade), Jackson Hately (pre-season draft)
COACH STATUS
Leon Cameron signed a new two-year deal in September but will come into 2021 under some serious pressure following the Giants’ fade out to end the season and mounting questions about whether he should have been awarded the contract extension in such a tough year. He did steer the talented Giants outfit to a Grand Final in 2019 after a sustained run of finals, but questions remain that Cameron is the right person to bring success to the group. This scrutiny will only intensify if GWS does not bounce back in 2021. There would be a lot of other coaches that wouldn’t think twice about taking over a GWS side with the firepower and star power it contains.
GAME PLAN
Cameron admitted the Giants needed a better system during the year and that is because they are a strong stoppage team and sloppy everywhere else, unable to lock the ball in their front half. The Giants are desperately in need of a defensive-minded small forward to change this and keep sides from getting out all too easily and hurting them. GWS was also the worst team in the competition for moving the ball the length of the field, although the move of Lachie Whitfield to halfback did help this. Zac Williams’ departure hurts some of their run and gun game so that might also be an opportunity for Cameron to tweak the Giants’ game plan further in 2021.
TRADE TABLE REPORT
Dug in and got a good return for star forward Jeremy Cameron to leave for Geelong but again the losses are significant for the Giants with Williams also departing and young gun Jye Caldwell moving to Essendon. Caldwell in particular was a player the Giants didn’t want to lose even though he was not a mainstay in their side over the past two years. At the low price they paid, wayward forward Jesse Hogan is worth the risk and while they have got the ruckman they require they arguably paid overs for Braydon Preuss. But Preuss is a worthy ally for Shane Mumford and if he can help the GWS engine room, then the Giants can get back to winning games.
THEIR 2020 DRAFT HAUL
Despite their poor 2020 the GWS side is still stacked with talent and it might be hard for the newbies to crack into the side early. Having said that though don’t be surprised if mature-ager Jacob Wehr finds his way into the side early, given he is a running left-footed defender and the Giants need a player like him in the back half. The Giants were pinching themselves that Tanner Bruhn found his way to them after sliding to 12 in the draft. He has high-end talent as a midfielder and can add to the talent-stacked GWS engine room. One of the most fascinating watches in coming years will be comparing Jeremy Cameron’s returns at Geelong with the three draft picks the Cats had to give up in exchange – Bruhn, Connor Stone and Ryan Angwin.
PLAYERS THEY CAN REINVENT
On the surface it looks like Jesse Hogan will arrive at GWS as a replacement for Cameron but with Harry Himmelberg, Jeremy Finlayson and Jake Riccardi already there could the Giants play the former Melbourne and Fremantle forward in defence? He played back in his junior days and it looks seriously unlikely the Giants would try and play those four in the same forward line. They are rolled-gold midfielders, but captain Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly need to have a bigger impact on the scoreboard. Dustin Martin sets a high standard in this field, but are Coniglio and Kelly up to the challenge? They need to be for the Giants to be a flag threat. On that note, Coniglio needs to reinvent his role as captain, as he appeared to be found wanting in his first year as skipper.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP
After being stuck behind Todd Goldstein at North Melbourne and then Max Gawn at Melbourne, Preuss has a fantastic opportunity to become a starting AFL ruck. And with a GWS midfield still boasting plenty of star power the Queenslander could be in for a big 2021 at his third AFL club as he finally gets a clear crack at becoming the No.1 big man. Tom Green showed promising signs in his first season at AFL level and will be hoping for a sustained run in the GWS side, despite being up against some serious talent in the midfield rotation. If he can make his way into the Giants best 22 then he will certainly add something different to one of the best midfields in the competition given his big-bodied frame.
BEST 22 FOR NEXT SEASON
B: Sam Taylor, Phil Davis, Adam Kennedy
HB: Lachie Whitfield, Nick Haynes, Lachie Ash
C: Josh Kelly, Jacob Hopper, Harry Perryman
HF: Harry Himmelberg, Jake Riccardi, Matt de Boer
F: Toby Greene, Jeremy Finlayson, Brent Daniels
R: Braydon Preuss, Stephen Coniglio, Tim Taranto
Int: Jesse Hogan, Tom Green, Callan Ward, Daniel Lloyd
CHAMPION DATA SAYS:
Good: The Giants were highly efficient going inside 50, ranked fourth across the competition for both scores and goals per inside 50.
Bad: The Giants ball movement was poor, generating an inside 50 from just 14 per cent of their defensive 50 chains – ranked 18th.
FINISH THE LAST FIVE YEARS: 2016 4th (preliminary final), 2017 4th (preliminary final), 2018 6th (semi final), 2019 6th (Grand Final), 2020 10th
TAB PREMIERSHIP ODDS: $17
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