‘It’s going to be a big one’: Giants ready for another old enemy

Former Western Bulldog Callan Ward says the Giants have a blueprint to stop his old side as the two rivals clash on Saturday.

Callan Ward says the Giants’ rivalry with the Western Bulldogs is as big as when they face the Swans. Picture: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Veteran midfielder Callan Ward says the Giants will have no trouble following up the high of their Sydney derby win with a fierce performance against their other arch rivals on Saturday.

The rivalry between GWS and Ward’s former Western Bulldogs is one of the purest in the league, with the inaugural GWS captain saying the two clubs have followed very similar paths on-field since their fateful 2016 preliminary final meeting.

Both team’s supporters and neutral viewers were enthralled as the Giants and Bulldogs threw everything at each other in a one-goal game played at breakneck speed, and Ward said the continuing fast and ferocious football between the two sides excites the players as much as the fans.

“(The creation of a rivalry) was something I thought about when I first moved, but I guess a few staff and players went between the clubs, then we had a couple of games that were just really good games of football to watch – they were just quick and played at really high intensity,” he said.

“I think it’s become a game the players from both teams and both sets of supporters really look forward to.

Callan Ward flew for a mark early in the 2016 preliminary final, before he was badly concussed in the second quarter of the historic match. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“I think it really started to heat up in the 2016 preliminary final – obviously when you play against teams in a big final, it almost does build that rivalry straight away, and fans don’t forget about a game like that quickly.”

He said the Giants’ playing group required no winding up from coach Adam Kingsley to be ready for the occasion.

“The Dogs and the Swans are probably our two biggest rivals and the players know that, so it’s not something we need to address or pump up within our walls because we already know it’s going to be a big one,” Ward said.

One of Ward’s closest friends, Connor Idun, will play his 50th game against the Bulldogs on Saturday. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Everyone knows their midfield is really star-studded … making sure we hit our tackles is really important, they have really fast hands and try to get the ball to the outside, so we have to win that contested ball on the inside.”

Young defender Connor Idun will play his 50th game in the grudge match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval, with Ward applauding the 22-year-old’s calm and composure behind the ball for GWS.

“He’s one of my closer mates and he’s 11 or 12 years younger than me, so it’s always funny when you hang around with guys that age, but I feel like we’re really similar in age, either he’s really mature or I’m really immature,” Ward said.

“We do get on really well and my kids love him as well. He’s a great guy and the way he goes about his football is fantastic, I think he’ll play a lot more than 50 games, that’s for sure.”