GWS 2018 trade guide: Who should the Giants chase this off-season?
GWS was meant to win multiple flags. However, they’re still miles from that. Should the Giants be worried about the prospect of star players looking at moving home? David King reviews the club’s trade options.
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THE Giants have been swimming against the tide all season, fighting what seems to be a constant injury curse — again.
The expectations are always extreme given the talent base and winning premiership/s was almost the pass mark for this group. They’re miles from that.
Jeremy Finlayson has been the Giants’ find of the season but so much will be learned about this group in the next two months. Ryan Griffen, Brett Deledio and Heath Shaw are all likely go again and given a fair run with injury, the Giants will look a different team with Tom Scully, Toby Greene, Zac Williams and the like available for selection.
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Josh Kelly and Dylan Shiel are stars of the AFL but marginally down on last season and the concern is that no youngsters really picked up the slack.
The rumours of a salary cap squeeze are alarming and constricting from a trade acquisition front. Rory Lobb is again attracting West Australian interest as the initial wave of GWS draft selections are about to enter the free agency qualification period. Fascinating times!
Leon Cameron will stay the course and stick to the draft for some more talent, but they can’t afford to lose any stars.
Premiership Clock — 10pm
LAUREN WOOD REVIEWS GWS’S TRADE OPTIONS
IN PLAY
1. Dylan Shiel
Age: 25
Games in 2018: 14
The jungle drums have been beating. While the midfield beast is contracted until the end of next season, talk has been rampant that he is eyeing a return back to Victoria. Watch this space, closely.
2. Adam Tomlinson
Age: 24
Games in 2018: 14
Now, not saying it will be the Giants who table him but St Kilda came last year — with GWS resisting a deal — and it could happen again.
3. Josh Kelly
Age: 23
Games in 2018: 8
Like the previous two, won’t be one the Giants would consider expendable by any stretch of the imagination. But he only signed until the end of next season last year, so could the Giants look to do some dealing? Stranger things have happened.
BUY BUY BUY
1. Jeff Garlett
Age: 28
Club: Melbourne
Games in 2018: 5
The Giants could do worse than having the fleet-footed Garlett scooting around in front of goal. The forward setup has been chopped and changed this season with Patton, Greene and Cameron all in and out.
2. Zac Smith
Age: 28
Club: Geelong
Games in 2018: 3
Contracted for next season at the Cats but has struggled to find consistent game time, and with Rory Lobb hampered by injury throughout the season, could be a handy addition.
3. Tom Bell
Age: 27
Club: Brisbane
Games in 2018: 1
Bell has been at Carlton and Brisbane without setting the world on fire but with another fresh start might he finally deliver on his potential? Giants have shown a willingness to think outside the square with recycled players — witness Dylan Buckley and Lachie Keeffe last off-season.
WINS AND ROUNDABOUTS
The additions made by the Giants at the end of last season have largely flown under the radar, with Buckley and Keeffe joining from Carlton and Collingwood respectively and playing a handful of games. Nick Shipley — the first graduate of the Giants academy — has played a couple of games and continues to develop. The loss of Steve Johnson has been felt in front of goal — particularly with so many injuries to forwards — and Devon Smith would have been more than handy if he’d stayed.
FANTASY QUICK FIX
It’s been a difficult period for the Giants as they attempt to keep their forwards on the park. Jonathon Patton will likely be out for 12 months while Jeremy Cameron will miss the next four games through his suspension and Toby Greene is still at least one week away. Wouldn’t big Ben Brown — or any key forward, really — be a huge addition.
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