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If GWS wants to make an impact in the fledgling Sydney market, then the Giants need look no further than the mistakes made by the Gold Coast Suns.
The Suns, who have had an average losing margin of 104 points, have only recorded one win from six attempts and this weekend’s game against Brisbane will decide which team will anchor the bottom of the ladder.
Which begs the question, is instilling a winning culture as important as having the best young talent in the country?
The average age on the Gold Coast’s list is 21 years and 80 days, the youngest list in AFL history, with 12 players debuting in the Sun’s inaugural match against Carlton.
Furthermore, of all the debutantes, only Karmichael Hunt was over the age of 21, leaving the Blues playing against a glorified TAC cup side, with a few senior players thrown in the mix.
So, whilst having a robust list of the nation’s best, young talent sets them up for a strong future, what does it mean from a club viewpoint in attracting new members?
Football fans are fickle and when you’re trying to make headway into states that are rugby centric, people don’t accept mediocrity.
So what can GWS learn from the Sun’s mistakes?
Experienced players from lower levels such as the VFL, SANFL and WAFL, can not only add maturity to a team, but will also add hardened bodies that have had the benefit of playing senior football.
GWS needs only to look at the success of mature aged rookies like Stuart Crameri from Essendon and Ed Curnow at Carlton.
Crameri, playing in his second AFL season and ninth senior game sits equal eighth on the Coleman medal tally and has played a huge part in Essendon’s resurgence this season.
Curnow, on the other hand, has fitted seamlessly into Carlton’s defence, averaging 24 disposals a game.
Crameri and Curnow are just two examples of clubs investing in mature, aged players from lower levels that have repaid the faith.
Gold Coast had the opportunity to take players from lower levels on their list without having to use a draft pick.
They chose to trade most of the players they pre-listed for future draft picks, perhaps in hindsight, Scott Clayton and the Sun’s recruiting team may have assembled their list differently.
The fact is the GWS Giants cannot afford to make the same mistakes that Gold Coast have made in terms of the inexperience to experience ratio of their list.
Sydneysiders need a reason to switch from NRL to AFL, and a team of kids suffering heavy losses from day one, won’t give them motivation.
History shows teams have had success recruiting from lower levels, GWS must follow suit or they will be history.
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