GWS star Lachie Whitfield ignores free agency to become latest Giant to re-sign
One of GWS’ trio of star free agents is off the market, with Lachie Whitfield confirming he has inked a huge new deal with the Giants.
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Greater Western Sydney’s stunning spate of contract extensions has continued, with Lachie Whitfield signing a new seven-year deal at the club.
The Giants confirmed the Herald Sun’s report on Monday that one of their three 2020 free agents has signed a new long-term deal, after already locking away stars including Josh Kelly, Tim Taranto and new captain Stephen Coniglio this year, while Toby Greene signed a long-term deal in 2018.
Whitfield has re-signed until the end of 2027.
“That’s what helped make my decision so easy - speaking to Cogs and Toby knowing they’re going to be here long term, and Josh as well,” Whitfield said.
“We’ve got a really good core of players that we can build a team around and knowing that we’re going to have five, six, seven years of that is exciting, and hopefully five, six, seven years of success.”
The club has handed offers to 2020 free agents Whitfield, Zac Williams and Jeremy Cameron.
But Williams is not yet prepared to negotiate a new deal despite telling the Herald Sun during finals he was determined to remain with the club long-term.
The Herald Sun reported last month Victorian free agent Cameron would re-sign despite clubs including Geelong attempting to lure him home at the end of next year.
Despite that, Whitfield will still be getting in his teammates’ ears.
“It’s going to be tough. I know there’s obviously going to be a lot of speculation for those two and there’s probably going to be deals from the Melbourne clubs that are going to be quite enticing, but we’re real tight family up here and I’m hoping that they will stay,” he said.
“I know I’m in their ear now.”
A new long-term deal this early in the summer for Whitfield is a massive coup for the Giants given his brilliance for Leon Cameron’s side.
The wingman missed the preliminary final after having his appendix removed and while he returned for the Grand Final battled to have an affect and clearly looked in pain.
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Regardless of the order of the club’s re-signings it is confident it will secure all of Whitfield, Cameron and Williams biyearly in the year.
Cameron is set to sign a six or seven-year extension on just under a million dollars a season, having already been one of footy’s most highly paid players.
In 2020 he will be in the top handful of paid played in the competition due to a back-ended contract that saw him helping the club with their cap issues by receiving his salary later in his deal.
Coach Leon Cameron is also likely to secure a contract extension past his current deal expiring in 2020.
New GWS football boss Jason McCartney has put new deals to the trio of players and believes they can all be signed up by Round 1.
“They’ve been presented with offers,” McCartney said late last month.
“We’re well advanced in those discussions. You never exactly know until they’re signed but all the indications from players and their management are that they’re really comfortable and happy where they are.”
Despite the disastrous nature of the club’s Grand Final loss to Richmond the club believes it can quickly rebound next year.
Adelaide imploded after its 2017 loss to the Tigers but the Giants are determined not to wallow in that defeat after the achievement of getting to the last game of the year.
The Giants retained veterans Shane Mumford and Heath Shaw for 2020, signed Sam Jacobs and re-signed Coniglio, who was last week announced as the new sole club captain.
The club also brought in two early selections in Victoria Country captain Lachie Ash and No. 10 selection Tom Green, the grandson of Tigers premiership star Michael Green.
Phil Davis, who looked extremely proppy after playing with a calf injury in the 89-point Grand Final defeat, said this week the club would rebound from the MCG horror show.
“I haven’t watched it yet, it’s not on my top-five to watch list,” Davis said.
“We’ll definitely cut pieces out of it in terms of how we can get better as a team.
“You’ve got to do a fair bit right to get to the Grand Final and our last three quarters were disappointing and Richmond were way too good on the day.
“We have to live with that.”