AFL 2023: Lachie Whitfield celebrates 200-game milestone with big hopes for the Giants’ future

Lachie Whitfield’s name has again come up in trade speculation – but, ahead of his 200th game, the Giants star says he’s not planning to leave GWS anytime soon. Here’s why.

Lachie Whitfield is confident he has plenty more to achieve after 200 games with the Giants. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Lachie Whitfield found himself deep in conversation with Giants teammate Phil Davis at training last month.

The pair were reflecting on how quickly their careers had gone, particularly once they’d hit their late 20s.

“I looked at him at the time and thought, ‘We’re still young, what are you talking about?’,” Whitfield said.

“But I turn 29 next week, so I do know what he’s talking about.”

This weekend, Whitfield will play his 200th AFL game for the Giants.

One of only three players to reach the milestone for the club, the former No.1 draft pick has seen it all in his time at GWS.

However, his focus has never been clearer in terms of what he wants to achieve next.

“I grew up wanting to be a one-club player,” he said.

“I wanted to play 300 games, be a one-club player and win a grand final. I feel like I can do all of that here.

“I want success … and I can see this group getting there. I’m probably in that later stage where I’m just hanging on but I like our list, I like our coaching and I think we’re definitely trending in the right direction.”

Whitfield wants to be a part of the Orange Tsunami for a long time to come. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Whitfield is one of the Giants’ biggest stars. Contracted until the end of 2027, he is on a deal that will exceed a million dollars a year from next season.

It means his name will always be floated around trade time. Players like Tim Taranto and Bobby Hill wanted to return home from GWS, and some clubs hope they can tempt Whitfield to do the same.

However, after more than a decade riding the highs and lows with the Giants, the talented half back truly believes that Sydney is his home.

“When we first started, it was pretty hard,” Whitfield admits.

“We could barely buy a game. That’s probably what made us into the players we are, the way we played those early years.

“The club is continually building. We’ve had some really big games over our 10-year block and some monumental finals.

“We’re starting to build a really good history. I’m very proud to be the third player ever (to reach 200 games).

“Because we’ve got this short history, 100 years from now I’ll still have that. But it’s only 200 games, it feels like I have a lot more to go.”

His milestone game in Adelaide this Saturday will feature an array of family and friends in the crowd.

It won’t be quite as many as expected with some making the trip last week to Giants Stadium only for Whitfield’s one-week suspension to delay the party.

Whitfield’s mates had to modify their milestone shirts for the game against Hawthorn. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“They booked ahead thinking it’d be a pretty safe bet … I haven’t been suspended in my career so timed that pretty nicely,” he said.

But while his teammates are starting to bring up the occasion, the momentum building around the Giants means the landmark hasn’t been front of mind.

Four wins in a row have put GWS just outside the top eight and within reach of finals.

The Giants are playing an attractive brand of footy and know that if they keep their standards up, anything is possible.

It has also brought the best out of Whitfield who is averaging 25.7 disposals a game – his best mark in five seasons.

“After our start to the year, a lot of people probably ruled us out of finals contention anyway,” Whitfield said. “So, we’re playing with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder just to see how far we can get.

Whitfield produced a remarkable performance in the 2019 grand final despite having his appendix removed two weeks earlier. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“We’re on a run, if we can continue that and we get to the back end of the year and finals are a chance, that’s what you play footy for.

“The vibe we’re getting at the moment is like that 2016-vibe when we started to get on a roll and win games.

“It’s really a fun way to play footy and everyone is buying in.”

The vibes might be high, but deep-down Whitfield is still driven by what could have been.

The culmination of that 2016 team was the Giants’ devastating grand final loss to Richmond in 2019. Whitfield played in that game after having his appendix out less than a fortnight earlier.

He’s desperate to get to the final weekend in September again.

“I feel like we played our absolute best footy and ran out of gas just to get into the grand final,” he said.

“Richmond was the better team, don’t get me wrong. But we probably just didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

“I need another crack.”

Originally published as AFL 2023: Lachie Whitfield celebrates 200-game milestone with big hopes for the Giants’ future