Callan Ward and Rhys Palmer pose after the GWS press conference to announce the new player signings for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012, Breakfast Point, Sydney.
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In just under three months’ time, the Greater Western Sydney Giants will take on the Sydney Swans in the opening game of the 2012 AFL season.
As much as AFL HQ would like to kick off the season with a great game between the new kids on the block and the perennial warhorses in the same backyard, the game its likely to be very one-sided affair even by half time.
The Gold Coast Suns were not afforded an opening game, and were forced to sit out the first round completely in 2011 with a bye. Yet the Suns at least had the formation of a competitive unit to start the club on the right foot.
In hindsight, the Suns were smashed in their first few AFL games, as the step up from VFL to AFL is massive in terms of pressure and the Suns’ list was just too thin.
The Suns, though, appear on paper to have been substantially stronger at the same stage as the Giants. The Giants have a younger and less experienced list than the Suns and no Garry Ablett to at least keep them in the game in the midfield.
They have Tom Scully, the apprentice, but he is not in the same league as the master Ablett. Injury prone and only in his second year, Scully is still green and cannot be expected to be the glue that holds the Giants’ midfield together.
A handful of almost retired players will be no substitute for the second-tier stars still in their prime like Nathan Bock and Campbell Brown of the Suns.
The cross-coder in Israel Folau may well turn out to be a more suited AFL player than Karmichael Hunt is for the Suns. Folau has taken to full forward like a fish to water, but must rely on ball delivery into the forward line first won in the midfield. His 2012 contribution is likely to be modest as a result.
The rest are kids, and of course their number one draft pick John Patton is in rehab in Sweden, not being considered as a starter for the opening game of the season.
As the Suns found out, it’s a long season, one that requires players with two or three preseasons under their belt to even survive the year, let alone wins games.
Given they have an inferior list to the Suns, will the Giants even win a game in 2012?
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- AFL, Gary Ablett, Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Tom Scully
January 4th 2012 @ 4:59am
Patrick Angel said | January 4th 2012 @ 4:59am | Report comment
Over to you Port Adelaide.
January 4th 2012 @ 7:32am
Redb said | January 4th 2012 @ 7:32am | Report comment
haha yeah poor ol’ Port could put its hand up but who is the match turner for the Giants like Ablett was for the Suns that day?
January 4th 2012 @ 8:04am
Patrick Angel said | January 4th 2012 @ 8:04am | Report comment
They really don’t have anyone, and the chances of a kid stepping up without back up is minimal.
January 4th 2012 @ 6:10am
BigAl said | January 4th 2012 @ 6:10am | Report comment
The only possible wins I can see are at home against Port & Suns
January 4th 2012 @ 8:17am
The Cattery said | January 4th 2012 @ 8:17am | Report comment
It will be an absolute miracle if the Giants get near the Suns’ three wins from last year – there could be a few almighty hidings.
With that first game in Sydney, being a week early, we can all hope that the Swans aren’t yet into the swing of their season, and the Giants might manage to get a couple of goals on the board by half time.
January 4th 2012 @ 9:16am
mds1970 said | January 4th 2012 @ 9:16am | Report comment
It won’t be easy. Most of the team will be making their debut in the first game, it’s a promising list but a very young and inexperienced one. Other than Cornes, Brogan, Power and McDonald, even the recruits from other clubs are young. But they’ll be giving it their all, and in Sheedy and Choco they have a couple of shrewd football innovators in the coaching box.
I’m tipping the Giants to win two games – one against Port or Gold Coast at home, the other a boilover upset out of left field. But the club, its players and supporters, are in this for the long haul.
January 4th 2012 @ 9:28am
TomC said | January 4th 2012 @ 9:28am | Report comment
There was a fine line last season between the Suns winning three games and winning none. I would argue that there was a fair amount of luck in each of their three wins last season, and in general they struggled badly.
The Giants only need to be 10% worse, and not quite as lucky, in order to never come close to winning a game. And on the face of it I’d say they’ll be a fair bit less than 10% worse.
The only thing that stops me from saying they definitely won’t win a game is the two fixtures against the Suns. I think the Suns will have a much tougher season in 2012 than most people realise.
January 4th 2012 @ 10:25am
The Cattery said | January 4th 2012 @ 10:25am | Report comment
It’s an interesting observation about the Suns. They have had to reduce their list from the first season to the second, and their recruitment has been minimal, so they are relying 100% on their young players improving – which may or may not work.
It will be interesting to see how Hunt goes, with another pre-season under his belt, whether he improves or not will depend a fair bit on his capacity to run out a game.
January 4th 2012 @ 4:50pm
Redb said | January 4th 2012 @ 4:50pm | Report comment
Agree on the 10% fine line for the Suns last season.
I disagree on the Suns, their kids have plenty of talent with another pre season I think they will win 5-8 games in 2012.
January 4th 2012 @ 10:10am
Lachlan said | January 4th 2012 @ 10:10am | Report comment
I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the greater western sydney giants will win atleast two games. They have, in my mind the most experienced coaching staff ever and have 3 premiership players, playing. In 2013, will be very even comp, wonder who will be on top between giants and suns.
January 4th 2012 @ 11:29am
Ian Whitchurch said | January 4th 2012 @ 11:29am | Report comment
I think a lot of people are under-rating what last years Giants did in the NEAFL.
Last year, the Giants won 12 games and lost 5 in the NEAFL. They were lacking ten first round picks, as well as their AFL signings.
They beats the Swans reserves (Folau kicked three), the Suns reserves and the Lions reserves (Folau kicked four).
So, yeah. I think they will get flogged, a lot. I think they will kick some winnable scores, and I think they will put themselves in a position to win a couple of games.
Actually winning those games will, as always when you’re at the bottom end of the ladder, be a mix of desire and luck.
January 4th 2012 @ 11:35am
DemonFaithful said | January 4th 2012 @ 11:35am | Report comment
They’ll win as many games as South Australia did in the old “It’s a Knockout” …..one.
January 4th 2012 @ 1:00pm
Jaceman said | January 4th 2012 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
I’m hoping the Giants do well but their form in the NEAFL was OK but it was a long way short of AFL standard. I think the AFL are banking on the momentum factor that is start from a really low base with hidings and the West will jump on supporting the underdog as it turns into a Giant and a winner in 3 years..Governments do the same hoping for the a groundswell of support lifting in the last week of a campaign and positive press and good poll numbers lifting them to a groundswell of support and victory (eg Garry Morgan pollsters and the Libs )
January 4th 2012 @ 2:14pm
TW said | January 4th 2012 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
Floggings aint nice in any comp at any level, and they are exagerated in our game because of the scoring system.
Will not win a game and will have trouble running out matches anyhow with a mainly young squad. I hope I am wrong.
January 9th 2012 @ 7:04pm
Nathan of Perth said | January 9th 2012 @ 7:04pm | Report comment
Its kind of strange, you know. A 120 to 40 rout is no different in ratio to a 3-1 scoreline in association football, which is hardly unusual. But when you see it with the six points per goal accounting it looks like a slaughter. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to kill the behind posts as far as scoring goes (ie, leave them as corner-style posts for determining defensive kick-ins as opposed to throw-ins) and have one-point goals in terms of perception of the game.
January 9th 2012 @ 7:36pm
stabpass said | January 9th 2012 @ 7:36pm | Report comment
Point were introduced to stop draws and were only counted if the game was 6 goals each(example), sort of like a countback to determine the winner.
1897 was the year when behinds became worth one point.
1866 was the year point posts were used for the first time.