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It’s no surprise that Fremantle is on top of the ladder after the first third of the season, but it certainly wasn’t expected that the GWS Giants would be sitting pretty in the top five and equal second on points with five wins.
They have been helped in the first few rounds facing teams that, like them, finished in the bottom six of the ladder in 2014. If anything though, their wins against St Kilda, Melbourne and Carlton, along with the Gold Coast, have shown the extent of the strides the Giants are taking compared to last season’s cellar dwellers.
Considering that the Giants are still a fledgling team, they entered the season as no certainty to win these games, but bar the St Kilda encounter, which was tight, they not only beat the Demons, the Suns and the Blues, they trounced them.
They also pushed Sydney and if not for bad kicking, especially early, they might have caused a massive upset, which they went on to achieve against Hawthorn.
That would be the biggest win in the club’s short history so far and then they showed their maturity with their thrashing of Carlton, who are at rock bottom.
The Giants were red hot favourites to win it, but after such an euphoric win over the Hawks, there was still the possibility that this emerging team may have a letdown even against a once proud club, who might be approaching their lowest ebb.
They dominated from the start and very quickly have become potential finalists and dangerous floaters against every team they play.
West Coast is the only side to get hold of them and their last month, but the way they have pulverised sides indicates the Giants might be just one of many the Eagles thrash this season.
In every other game they have produced solid performances, which also proves, as well as maturity, that their consistency of performance has also increased dramatically under Leon Cameron.
He was offered the Port Adelaide job at the end of 2012 and just got pipped the previous year for the Western Bulldogs’ coaching position.
History tells us that Port got it right with Ken Hinkley, although they have spluttered to just three wins from their first seven matches this season, while in my opinion the Dogs should have picked Cameron ahead of the man, who won the job, Brendan McCartney.
Cameron decided not to take the Port role and instead elected to be Kevin Sheedy’s assistant at GWS for one year and then take over as senior coach.
It seems he has made the right decision as his side contains some of the best young talent in the country.
Mind you, the AFL gave them every chance by giving them 11 of the top 15 draft picks in 2011 such as Stephen Coniglio, Toby Green, Jon Patton , Will Hoskin-Elliott and Devon Smith!
They were also given access to some of the best under 17 year olds the previous year including Jeremy Cameron, Adam Treloar and Dylan Shiel.
Most of these players have got at least 50 games under their belt and are becoming stars in the competition, although Patton has been curtailed in his progress due to two knee reconstructions.
High draft selections like Tom Boyd in 2013 and the class of 2011, Dom Tyson and Taylor Adams returned home to Victoria, but at this stage they have managed to maintain the rest of them.
Up forward, Jeremy Cameron and second year player, Cam McCarthy (who has yet to play ten games), have already kicked almost 50 goals between them this season.
They now also have the right mix of experienced players from other clubs to help Tom Scully and particularly Callan Ward and Phil Davis in Heath Shaw, powerful ruckman Shane Mumford, Ryan Griffen and one of the League’s best defenders, the former lion, Joel Patfull.
It’s a potent forward line that can score quickly helped by a talented midfield that now runs deep. The playing list profile is now close to perfect and like the Gold Coast last year in their fourth season in 2014, the Giants have only lost twice in their first seven.
It seemed for the first two thirds of last year, the Suns were on target to make their finals debut, but when the great Gary Ablett damaged his shoulder in Round 16 forcing him out for the rest of the year, Gold Coast fell apart winning just one of their last six.
Looking at their dreadful start to this year, they are still way too reliant on Ablett, but as far as the Giants are concerned 12 months down the track there are great signs that they are much better at sharing the load.
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