Will the GWS Giants be condemned from the opening game of the AFL? (Slattery Images)
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The AFL’s NAB Cup pre-season competition has begun. While not always an indication of success in the upcoming season, there are some positive signs for the new kid on the block – the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Collingwood, and to a lesser extent Western Bulldogs, fielded relatively inexperienced teams but GWS showed plenty of competitive spirit to take it up to the bigger and stronger sides.
GWS lost both of its games; however the combined margin was a mere 8 points (5 points to the Bulldogs and 3 points to the Magpies).
The NAB Cup gives observers the chance to see how young lads will fare against seasoned AFL footballers and to gain an insight into how your team will structure and set up for the season ahead.
Saturday’s fixtures gave a small insight as to how GWS will play under legendary coach Kevin Sheedy, who famously coached a young Essendon side (colloquially known as the Baby Bombers) to a Premiership in 1993.
I’m not saying GWS will go a similar way this season – in fact I don’t believe they can win more than four games – but under Sheedy and former Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams they should be at least competitive in a few games.
Building a strong team that is well attended in a non-AFL city will be difficult.
GWS won’t be able to achieve the kind of popularity enjoyed by cross-town rivals the Sydney Swans for at least ten years. However, with a large population, Western Sydney will be able to sustain a professional AFL team that prides itself on being a community club.
Like I said, NAB Cup games aren’t of significant importance, however GWS’ effort and willingness to contest the hard ball has already received praise from commentators and spectators alike and should please many footy followers.
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February 19th 2012 @ 1:44am
mds1970 said | February 19th 2012 @ 1:44am | Report comment
The Giants showed themselves to be competitive. With a bit of luck, they could have even won one or both of those games – particularly the first game, with that ridiculous free to Panos being the difference between the teams.
I’m a proud Giants fan tonight – they may not have won, but their fighting spirit can’t be denied.
February 19th 2012 @ 1:47am
Ian Whitchurch said | February 19th 2012 @ 1:47am | Report comment
My best bit of barracking all night – just better than ‘You cant spell Collingwood without choke” – was asking if we could use a couple of draft picks on new umpires.
February 19th 2012 @ 1:51am
mds1970 said | February 19th 2012 @ 1:51am | Report comment
You must have been just near me in the vocal fans’ bay behind the goals at the southern end. I loved those calls.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:13am
Ian Whitchurch said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:13am | Report comment
Yeah, thats where I was
But yeah, great effort by the Giants – there was tackling, chasing, spoiling and contesting. Keep that up, and it’ll be very very hard to clock up big wins against them.
And the Collingwood game had a total of 18 games AFL experience for the Giants, with Phil Davis representing for those who’ve played AFL before …
February 19th 2012 @ 8:10am
Redb said | February 19th 2012 @ 8:10am | Report comment
Enjoyed both GWS games last night with their kids having a real crack like the Suns last season.
The AFL need to change the time wasting rule penalty how absurd to allow a free kick from the goal square when a free kick from the centre would be more appropriate. The double goal cost the Giants the game.
Liked Hampton & Cooyou in particular for the Giants they’re exciting prospects.
The middle game between the Pies & Bullies was terrible, the last game with GWS & Pies highly entertaining.
It’s Nab Cup so you cant read too much into it, but I thought it was a good start by the Giants. I liked their physical approach with some good bumps & aggression. Sheedy traits.
February 19th 2012 @ 8:21am
Macca said | February 19th 2012 @ 8:21am | Report comment
Double goals are ridiculous. I agree, free kicks after the goal has been scored/or infringement should be taken from the midfield – not from where the infringement took place. It is too big a penalty.By the way, a wrongly called decision by the umpire resulted in a double goal in Carlton’s match vs West Coast last year in the finals. Those extra 6 points were enough for a West Coast victory.
February 19th 2012 @ 9:17am
c said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:17am | Report comment
The afl must be very happy with all of these close results and with even the band new team showing that it is ready to compete with the established teams
February 19th 2012 @ 9:34am
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Both GWS games were great viewing last night. GWS actually left out most of their experienced players for the second game against Collingwood, as did the pies, but Giants looked really good, especially in that first half: winning the ball out of the middle, creating a goal with some forward line pressure, and spotting up a few leads, in particular, Cooyou was quite impressive, even if he showed obvious inexperience in his decision making.
Of the lesser known players, also liked the look of: Curtly Hampton, Thomas Bugg, Jeremy Cameron, Jonathon Giles, and Josh Bruce.
I said this about a week ago on another thread – the Suns started off with the better list, but it’s possible to make a case that the Giants have bigger and stronger bodies in their first season, despite the youth policy, so I think there is a chance that they might emulate the Suns’ three wins, which would be a huge effort in their first season.
February 19th 2012 @ 9:39am
The_Wookie said | February 19th 2012 @ 9:39am | Report comment
The Giants will give teams in the bottom 4 plenty to worry about this year. Gold Coast and Port in particular.
February 19th 2012 @ 10:08am
Ian Whitchurch said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Wookie,
We’re not that far behind the Doggies, either, and anyone who doesnt show intent on the football will be in trouble.
February 19th 2012 @ 10:57am
It's called football said | February 19th 2012 @ 10:57am | Report comment
A very good “debut” & good crowd of over 7,000. Only 1,000 less than at the Panthers v Eels game the previous night. Will this encourage FFA to hurry-up with a WS A-league team?
I note Phil Gould’s comments in today’s Telegraph. He worries that there may be no Penrith in 10 years time. GWS are always on his mind!
February 19th 2012 @ 1:57pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
Am I the only one who thinks a crowd of 7 000 is a bit concerning?
I mean, AFL looks a bit provincial at the best of times, but watching the game in front of a small crowd, I just felt like I was back in the 1800′s, still isolated from the modern world.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:29pm
The_Wookie said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
it was a blacktown for the mickey mouse part of a preseason cup. There are worse results to have had.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:39pm
Plotter said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
On the contrary, it’s great to be able to watch footy in an intimate atmosphere like that. Everyone looked happy relaxing at Blacktown – not too packed in, but with a solid brace of spectators around the oval. For a game not featuring the Swans (like last year’s NAB Cup game at the venue), it looked to be a good turnout.
After catching 5 minutes of the GC United game on replay this week, I reckon the Giants needn’t worry about crowds just at the minute.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:45pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
Stiil, GWS competitive debut, up against Collingwood and WBs, the $6 million man on show, the crowds in Melbourne have been up around 30 000 ie season averages,have they not? As TC said, this was history in the making.
I guess playing in a proper stadium like Olympic Park for competition points will make a difference but still I find it hard to believe that people weren’t disappointed with the crowd.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:45pm
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:45pm | Report comment
I’m surprised you would hold such an opinion Titus.
Such a crowd suggests that GWS will never get below 9,000 when the season starts proper, and that’s a pretty good basis to start a new club in Western Sydney I reckon.
Did you have higher expectations? On what basis?
February 19th 2012 @ 3:21pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 3:21pm | Report comment
Oh, I thought they were aiming for 15 000, I guess 9-10 000 is achievable, especially with Swans derbies and travelling fans.
February 19th 2012 @ 3:58pm
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Personally, I have predicted home ground averages of around 12k to 14k, meaning you will see crowds of 9k to 17k, on average.
February 19th 2012 @ 7:31pm
Boomshanka said | February 19th 2012 @ 7:31pm | Report comment
Am I missing something.
The Blacktown International Sportspark has a listed capacity of 10000. Just looking at the highlights on the ABC sport and looking at the crowd, was the stadium at 70% capacity or is there plenty of allocated space? If one put another 3000 (or 50% of) people in there, it would not have looked even half full.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:54pm
Jack Russell said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
Probably worth a few thousand more tickets to the opener at ANZ anyway. No matter what game is on show, if it’s expected to be a huge flogging then it’s hardly a promoters dream.
February 19th 2012 @ 2:59pm
Commo said | February 19th 2012 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
Titus,
How does a game that has the third highest average attendances behind the NFL and MLB look provincial at the best of times.
I think those English codes look very provincial in Australia, especially the A-League with its miniscule crowds.
February 19th 2012 @ 3:29pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
Commo, take away the crowd and Football(soccer to you) is still the same game that is recognised all around the world.
With a big crowd it is obvious that people love the game of AFL and it is a big part of peoples culture but take away the crowd and put it somewhere that it isn’t part of the culture and it is remarkable how peculiar and idiosynchraticthe the game is.
But you probably don’t get that if you grew up around the game, I’m just expressing my reaction to the GWS game.
February 19th 2012 @ 5:12pm
yewonk said | February 19th 2012 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
funny you guys should talk about this. this was an argument between a gws man gav robbo, graham hughes from the doggie and an arrogant soccer man.
February 19th 2012 @ 5:47pm
The Cattery said | February 19th 2012 @ 5:47pm | Report comment
yewonk
we hear these sorts of discussions on an almost daily basis right here on the Roar, in fact, Titus himself has made the same points made by Tony Raciti many, many times.
February 19th 2012 @ 5:53pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 5:53pm | Report comment
I don’t really see your point, it was a conversation about as interesting as the codewars on here, and I would say the hosts(Robbo?) was equally as arrogant as the soccer guy, seemed like some sort of shock jock story.
February 19th 2012 @ 7:48pm
Bondy said | February 19th 2012 @ 7:48pm | Report comment
That chap is not best representative of the sport in Australia and got made a fool of on that programme ( buy himself) .
February 19th 2012 @ 3:32pm
It's called football said | February 19th 2012 @ 3:32pm | Report comment
Anti-AFL alert!
February 19th 2012 @ 3:36pm
Titus said | February 19th 2012 @ 3:36pm | Report comment
Yeah sorry, I’m just bored/trolling, I’ll leave you guys to it.