GWS Giants are fading from top-four contention

The Giants have been considered AFL premiership contenders for much of 2020 but their inconsistent form has put those hopes in some peril.

The GWS Giants after suffering defeat at the hands of the Brisbane Lions at Giants Stadium in Sydney. Picture: Getty Images

In an abridged season at threat of slipping away, time is of the essence for Leon Cameron and his sporadic Giants.

On Friday night in Sydney, they host reigning premiers Richmond. Their most recent clash in the AFL grand final was a nightmare. And the Tigers are again looking threatening.

A week after falling to Port Adelaide by 17 points, the Giants went down by 20 points to Brisbane on Saturday, which prompted Cameron to concede his side was “a rung off the top teams at the moment”.

The situation is far from terminal in regards to securing a finals position, not least because of the talent at his disposal. The Giants are only a win away from the fifth-placed Geelong.

But unless they can rapidly regain their best form, which includes finding a way to offer their forwards more opportunities than their rivals, their top four hopes will be remote.

With 11 rounds remaining, they are effectively conceding a two-match buffer to Richmond and Collingwood, which drew in Round 2 but are finding rhythm as the season progresses.

Stephen Coniglio leads the Giants through the race at Giants Stadium on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

Port Adelaide retained their advantage at the top of the ladder when Robbie Gray clinched a three-point win over Carlton on Sunday with a goal kicked after the final siren.

Brisbane sits in second position, and has a two game advantage and a significant percentage buffer on the Giants, which effectively equates to another match.

An unusual season raises the prospect of a side surging through the finals series to clinch the premiership in the manner of the Western Bulldogs in 2016.

But a top-four finish is still the preferred position to launch a premiership push and, should the Giants fail to topple Richmond, it may well be unattainable.

Cameron believes the Giants have demonstrated in the past their ability to regroup and surge back into contention.

“The boys are a bit down in confidence but we’ll fight through this as a footy club,” Cameron said. “We’ve done it in the past and I’m backing in our guys to do it again.”

Leon Cameron on:
🔸 our slow start
🔸 the midfield battle
🔸 Toby Greene's return#NeverSurrender

— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) July 19, 2020

But there are clear concerns. The Giants are yet to have the better of the inside-50 differential in any match this season and their defence sits in the bottom six in terms of conceding scores.

Brett Deledio, the champion Tigers star who spent the latter stages of his career with the Giants before retiring at the end of 2019, believes Cameron needs to be stricter in his coaching.

He said Cameron encouraged a talented squad to use their strengths but feels that under pressure, the team-oriented nature of their play falters.

GWS Giants coach Leon Cameron says his team is below the top tier at the moment. Picture: Getty Images

“He gives these guys a lot of freedom to play the way they see the game unfold, (advising them to) take the option that you see,” he said on ABC Grandstand.

“But I think there needs to be a little more — I wouldn’t say discipline — but structure in terms of, ‘right, this is the way we’re going to do it. If you don’t handball that ball off to someone who’s running past, expect to come and sit next to me for a little bit (on the bench)’.

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“I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, because Leon’s very direct and he sees the game incredibly well, as well, but that needs to come from the senior players as well.

“I think at times, when things start to go bad, they all try to use their own ability to win the game, versus trying to do it together and that is where they ultimately fall down because it is a bunch of 22 individuals versus a collective team.”

Where is it breaking down for GWS?

Former Giant Brett Deledio on @abcgrandstand today pic.twitter.com/HcBAuApc2f

— Corbin Middlemas (@CorbinMiddlemas) July 19, 2020

Former Western Bulldogs and Richmond coach Terry Wallace was another to question whether enough consideration was given to adhering to a cohesive team style.

“Leon Cameron says (it is) the midfield not generating enough, which is putting pressure on at both ends,” he said on AFL Nation.

“But to me that is coaching. Their structures are nowhere near as advanced and as tight as some of the other sides are in the competition at the moment.”