Greater Western Sydney will record their first victory this week when they take on Gold Coast at Manuka Oval in Canberra.
Clearly both teams will be approaching this match thinking it winnable.
While the Suns have shown they are no easybeats at home, pushing finals-calibre teams like Essendon and Fremantle right to the limit, the Giants have been slowly building their competitiveness, pushing Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs, and even troubling Carlton for a half.
The point is that this is one of very few matches that GWS can win, and Kevin Sheedy will know it. He’ll be using every bit of his renowned rat cunning, developed over 641 matches in the coach’s box, as he searches for ways to get his men over the line.
This game will have been isolated a long way out by the Giants coaching staff, and we’ve seen them rotate players through the side over the first six weeks, all in preparation for round seven.
Make no mistake, we will see what Sheedy thinks is his best 22 this week, and each one of them will run out hungry and desperate for success.
Gold Coast have struggled to back up their best efforts on a week-to-week basis, and the hard-fought encounter against Fremantle will have taken it out of a very young side.
This will be especially felt if Michael Rischitelli and Gary Ablett don’t recover from injury in time, and the loss of Nathan Bock is a huge blow. It’s worth noting that the Suns worst two performances this year came when he was on the sidelines.
Expect to see experienced leaders Luke Power and James McDonald play out of their skins, and if Ablett doesn’t come up you can pencil in Callan Ward for best-on-ground honours right now.
There’s no doubt that he is the true leader of this football team, in every possible way – physically, mentally and spiritually.
Just as Ablett has grown since transferring to the Suns, Ward too has relished the responsibility of being the front man, so expect his will to be imposed all match.
GWS will play a physical, contested game of football, making use of the more mature bodied youngsters at their disposal. On top of this, Tom Scully is due to put his stamp on a game and will relish playing against an inexperienced team. He’ll play his best game yet for the Giants.
Of course, the Suns aren’t just going to lie down and let it all happen. David Swallow and Harley Bennell are turning into elite players before our very eyes, and Karmichel Hunt is forcing his detractors to choke, so fast are they eating their words.
Sheedy will identify these three players as the keys to Gold Coast’s chances of winning the game, and they can expect some rough treatment to come their way.
Both teams will have been eyeing this fixture off, and the Suns deserve their favouritism. Although we haven’t seen many surprise results this year, I fancy that this one will mean more to the Giants, and I’m relying on the Suns to be a little flat.
But more than anything, I just sense that the old master Kevin Sheedy is capable of pulling one out of the bag against the odds.
KiwiDave
Roar Guru
I think this game showed that Guy McKenna is hopeless as a coach. He was completely out-coached by Sheedy and Williams. Gold Coast have the talent but they need the right coach to nurture them. They should have gone for someone with a track record rather than take a gamble on McKenna. I think if Gold Coast are still winless by round 14 which is a distinct possibility they will axe him.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Republican, Wrong about the result, wrong about the crowd and wrong about the game as a whole.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
And Cam dererves some praise for coming straight out and calling it when very few were prepared to do so.
Reece Jordan
Roar Pro
Well...this is funny reading the comments now we have a result...
Greg
Guest
I can't believe there's so much love for GWS here - has anyone actually watched them play? Not so much their performance, but the performance of their opposition. Opposition sides simply are not giving anywhere near 100% and they've still been getting blown away by huge margins. The Bulldogs put in perhaps the worst performance I've ever witnessed from an AFL side in the first quarter (keeping in mind I haven't managed to watch the Dees play this year) and turned it around with 15 minutes of actually trying. Against a side that will be giving absolutely everything they have over a full four quarters? GWS don't stand a chance. With or without Ablett, GC are sure things here.
John Seabrook
Guest
Personally, I reckon it'll be a 'ringer dinger dinger'!! For those who don't know the meaning of that saying, well, good luck! Both teams long suffering supporters are crying out for a win. God knows they've both endured so much for so long!!
Macca
Guest
Ian - I am not particularly happy but really I am not fussed either, got the win, got good percentage, got some key players rested, no new injuries and no suspensions so now we can concentrate on matches that actually matter. Wookie, didn't say it was GWS' fault we were missing 6 of our better players, just that their performance should be viewed with that in mind.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
The fitness is an important point; you can blend younger players into a mixed-age side and cover their developing tanks with rotation plans and substitutions. When your whole team is effectively young players there's nowhere to hide it. That and any close match between teams with finals experience and those without almost invariably goes the way of the seasoned team.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
What do you mean "supposedly" a downhill skier? Last I checked he does play for Carlton still! ;)
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
we played like crap for 3/4s. Its not GWS fauly we had outs and rested players. You can only play the men on the field, and the Giants did that pretty damn well. Ratten was scathing after the match, and Blues supporters should be ok with the fact we had no injuries or suspensions, but by no means content with the way we played.
Republican
Guest
GC will do the job, they have more to play for in respect of pride. Two terrible teams to watch, I can't see anymore than 5k through the gate, Ablett or no Ablett. Canberra has a very educated Aust Football community and their support is spread diversely across many clubs and these do not feature much at all in respect of support despite GWS attempts to be seen as our team. It just ain't gunna work.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Macca, Brett Ratten was a heck of a lot unhappier with the effort than you are. Personally, I think he's a decent coach, and well able to call a spade a spade.
Cameron
Guest
Cameron
Guest
It is not necessarily all about scoring goals to measure a players impact on the game, just like it is not all about scoring tries in RL. Other things like placing pressure on the ball carrier, clearences, contested possessions, tackles and shepards are all, amongst other things, important to a player's overall contribution to their effectiveness in an AFL game. Both of these players are doing that ok at this stage, esp Hunt.
tommy
Guest
Special K or Izy. Who will score more tries?? err.. I mean goals... I hope they play on each other.
micka
Guest
Amen on the Pineapple Grapple. I want to hear Denden Commetti say it too...
Macca
Guest
Oh and Ian one of these replacements - Ellard - who is supposedly a "downhill skier" had 19 possessions and 10 tackles, if his name was Karmichael Hunt he would of been given best on ground for that effort.
Brett McKay
Expert
cheers Matt. I know I've been to Swans games at Manuka (which probably were North Melbourne games, in hindsight), and I know I've seen Freo there as well, so I've probably combined those into the one experience in my memory...
Macca
Guest
Ian - They still won by 11 goals, yes they didn't play great footy in the first half and have admitted they weren't switched on but they still won by 11 goals with 6 of their best players missing. This is the type of attitude I have been talking about regarding the new teams, no matter what the result it is only the positives that get looked at. And yes losing Judd would hurt but so would losing Waite and so does losing Carrazzo, not having Laidler and Yarran hurts as well, as does missing Curnow. If we lost all 6 for long periods or around finals then our season will be sunk, fortunately 4 of them will be back this week and the blues run before Carrazzo and Laidler come back has a number of the more winnable games (GWS, Port Adelaide, Melbourne and the Bye plus St Kilda). Also how many games would GWS win if you took out their best 6, I suppose the same as you didn't but you get the idea. And as an aside do you think Tom Scully is actually in the Giants best 6?
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Macca, And their replacements showed they were soft downhill skiiers, who waited for the game to be won rather than taking by the scruff of the neck. You'd better hope Judd doesnt get actually hurt this year.