Eight reasons why GWS is still a premiership contender
For all the talent on its list, ultimate success has eluded GWS over the past three seasons, but there are many reasons why the Giants’ premiership window is still wide open.
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For all the talent on its list, ultimate success has eluded Greater Western Sydney with two preliminary final and semi-final appearances over the past three season.
But have the Giants missed their chance or is their premiership window still wide open?
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EIGHT REASONS WHY GWS CAN GET EXCITED
1. MORE GREENE
At the start of last season, leading football analyst David King rated Toby Greene as the Giants’ best and most important player. The forward went on to play just nine games in 2018 as foot and ankle complaints continued throughout the season. As a result, the 25-year-old kicked just 16 goals for the year after totals of 45 and 44 majors the previous two seasons. Greene also recorded only six goal assists, having contributed 28 in 2016. At his best Greene is a matchwinner with more X-factor than almost anyone else in the competition and GWS will be hoping he can stay fit in and rediscover top form in 2019.
2. NEXT STEP
The Giants haven’t exactly been far off the mark of the top sides in the competition the past three years. They lost a preliminary final by six points to eventual premier Western Bulldogs in 2016, lost another preliminary final to eventual premier Richmond in 2017 and fell short of grand finalist Collingwood by 10 points in a semi-final in 2018. For a largely young and developing side, that finals experience would have been invaluable. Now it’s time to shine.
3. BIG PATTON
GWS was hit hard by injuries in 2018 and the one to Jonathon Patton was as big as any. The key forward tore his ACL at training after playing just 12 games during what was a disappointing first half of the season by his standards. Patton managed just 10 goals from his 12 games but is capable of much more. In 2016, he kicked 38 goals from 23 games and in 2017 he booted 45 goals from 22 games. The Giants won’t be rushing the 2011 No. 1 draft pick back from what is a third knee reconstruction but they will be hoping he can get back on the park and return to form. Their forward line looks significantly better when Patton is up and about.
4. EXPLODING WITH TALENT
As an expansion side who debuted in only 2012, the Giants were handed plenty of draft concessions and therefore have an extraordinary amount of talent on their list. In fact, close to half of the GWS list — a total of 19 players — were first-round draft picks at some point. Three of those arrived through the door at the 2018 national draft in Jye Caldwell (pick 11), Jackson Hately (pick 14) and Xavier O’Halloran (pick 22), further bolstering the incredible talent at the disposal of coach Leon Cameron. Talent alone doesn’t win you premierships, but it certainly helps.
5. POWER MIDFIELD
The on ball brigade is undoubtedly the Giants’ biggest strength and should again cause plenty of opposition headaches in 2019, despite the departure of Dylan Shiel to Essendon. Champion Data ranks the GWS midfield the fifth-most talented in the competition, however the side ranked No. 1 for clearances and hard ball gets and No.5 for inside-50s last season. The No.2 draft pick from 2016, Tim Taranto, should only get better in his third season and the Giants will be hoping for more football out of Josh Kelly, who was restricted to 16 games by injury. Add to them Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio, Adam Tomlinson and Jacob Hopper and you have a very solid line-up.
6. SUNNY FIXTURE
The Giants’ 2019 fixture is not the easiest going around by any stretch, Champion Data ranking it the ninth-hardest of any side. However, they have drawn struggling Gold Coast Suns twice, in Rounds 11 and 23. GWS played Gold Coast only once in 2018, scoring a whopping 108-point win in Round 12. The chance to play the Suns twice could help their percentage significantly, which is often a big factor in final placings at the end of the season given how close the competition has been in recent years.
7. ZAC BACK
Versatile defender Zac Williams was largely a forgotten name in the football world last year, but there is no understating his importance to the Giants. A ruptured achilles ruled Williams out of the entire home-and-away season in 2018 before he finally returned for the club’s two finals matches. The 24-year-old finished sixth in the Giants’ best-and-fairest count in 2017, averaging 22.2 disposals and almost four tackles. Williams can lock down on dangerous opposition small forwards as well as win his own ball and shapes as one of the biggest “recruits” in the competition next season.
8. MUMMY RETURNS
Ruckman Shane Mumford announced his retirement due to an ongoing foot problem at the end of 2017 but in the shock story of the off-season — he’s back. The 32-year-old continued at the Giants as a ruck coach last season and hit foot injury gradually improved to a point where the club decided he was worth relisting as a realistic chance of playing again in 2019. Mumford played 21 games in 2017, averaging 39.2 hit-outs, 5.6 tackles and more than 10 disposals a game. If he can stay fit, the big man could have a big impact returning next season.
WHAT CHAMPION DATA SAYS: The Giants have seventh-rated list heading into 2019 — their lowest ranking since 2015. Their midfield still rates fifth despite losing Tom Scully and Dylan Shiel, with Callan Ward ranked as the sixth-best midfielder in the league.
TRAJECTORY
2014: 16th (6-16)
2015: 11th (11-11)
2016: 4th (16-6, preliminary final)
2017: 4th (14-2-6, preliminary final)
2018: 7th (13-1-8, semi-final)
TAB ODDS
Premiership: $15
Top-8: $1.70
Most losses: $101
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