Despite the mounting number of lopsided losses, I was very impressed by what I saw from the GWS Giants against Geelong on the weekend.
For three quarters the Giants threatened the upset of the millennium, not only matching the Cats on the scoreboard, but also in statistics such as contested possessions and tackles.
I went to the match hoping to see a Geelong blowout victory, but it almost didn’t happen when GWS kicked the first five goals of the match.
This prompted me to say that “this will be front page headlines if GWS beats Geelong.”
The Giants have proven in their two contests against the Cats to date that they aren’t scared of playing such a well-disciplined team; a team that has enjoyed sustained success since 2007, winning three flags in the past six years.
In their only previous meeting, at the Cattery, the Giants were level with the then-defending premiers at quarter and half-time, before experience shone in the second half, allowing the Cats to pull away to win by 65 points.
But this was some sort of start for the Giants, and after such a brilliant first quarter the new team led by 18 points at half-time.
While I was not close enough to the Geelong huddle to hear what Chris Scott had to say to his troops, it was clear that he was not impressed with what his boys served up in that first quarter.
I was sitting at the southern end of the stadium, right next to the visitors’ tunnel and just to the left of the Giants’ cheer squad which continued to let their voice be heard frequently throughout the match.
Every time the Giants kicked a goal, the crowd would lift their voice and the flags would wave proudly. I was even lucky enough to take several photographs of the cheer squad with the scoreboard in sight when the Giants were leading.
And when the Giants were still in the contest, the crowd were still up on their feet, trying to keep the team in the game when the upset of the millennium was still there for the taking.
The Cats eventually lifted their game in the second quarter, kicking eight goals to four to turn the match in their direction.
It was only an eight-point buffer at half-time, but the Giants were impressing with every piece of play.
I was able to meet Barry Hall during the half-time break. While I did not ask him any questions, what I would have asked, had I been able, was if he had regretted the way he left the Sydney Swans in 2009.
Hall, of course, left the Harbour City in messy circumstances that year following an incident involving Ben Rutten in a Swans loss to Adelaide midway through that year.
It was his last game for the red-and-white, following which he would serve for two years at the Western Bulldogs before retiring at the end of 2011.
Hall has stated that he always wants to be remembered for being a Western Bulldogs player, despite captaining Sydney to its’ 72-year drought-ending premiership in 2005.
He states this because it was the Footscray club who were willing to give him one last chance, and he paid the club back with over 100 goals, making him the only man to kick a ton for three different clubs.
It was the third quarter and the Giants were still in the contest. Even though they were unable to take the lead back from the triple premiers, they showed some fight by levelling the scores twice, entering the final change trailing by 12 points.
But as has become customary this season, the Giants’ notorious fourth-quarter fadeouts crept in again. Against Melbourne at the MCG in Round 4 they led by 19 points at three-quarter-time but lost by 41.
The fourth quarter blues struck again when Geelong restricted them to just one goal in the final quarter, kicking nine themselves.
Unfortunately, I had to leave the ground midway through the final quarter – well, I would have left anyway because it was obvious as to who would win.
Jeremy Cameron was very impressive for the Giants, kicking 4.4 (28). I noted during the match that he had the potential to become “the next Matthew Lloyd or Jonathan Brown.”
As it stands, he is equal third on the Coleman Medal tally, with 31 majors for the season, an impressive return from a forward whose team is still winless approaching the midway mark of the season.
I won’t be surprised if he one day makes it into the All-Australian team, and he could launch a club forward the same way Lance Franklin launched Hawthorn forward almost a decade ago.
When Franklin started at Hawthorn the club was still languishing in the bottom half of the ladder, but he has since become a superstar in his own right and today he is one of the power forwards in a side that is in premiership contention.
Cameron could launch GWS up the ladder if he continues his impressive form throughout his career. The question might need to be asked: who needs Buddy Franklin when you have Jeremy Cameron?
The next match I will attend is the Giants’ Round 17 match against Essendon. Let’s hope that the Giants can once again live up to their name by the time they meet on July 20.
clipper
Guest
Allan - I have never taken cheap shots at WSW fans for being bandwagoners, I think the fan base will continue to grow even if they don't do well, although it would grow more if they continue to win. Warren - I've never made any reference to AFL games in London, but I suspect that if they did play an exhibition match there they would get more than 1.136, especially with so many Aussies over there. League has been there for over a century, Aussie Rules has never been there, so you would expect better crowd figures from an expansion team, but they are far worse than GWS, also an expansion team.
Daryl Adair
Guest
Post_hoc, can you point readers to the relevant ABS statistics site? Your claims are certainly not vindicated by ABS figures for children's participation in sport Australia wide. Where does one find NSW figures? Thx. The link for the ABS national figures is here: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/76DF25542EE96D12CA257AD9000E2685?opendocument For example, Soccer 1; Swimming and Diving 2; Aussie Rules 3.
Post_hoc
Guest
in Reply to Australian Rules, no, long term planning is not a foreign concept to me, in fact if you want to see long term planning in action have a look at football (ie the game you play with your feet) in NSW AFL according to the ABS is so far behind in kids participation, it is behind League and Union, it is behind, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, in fact more kids play touch football than play AFL. You want to see long term planning, more kids play football than the other three codes combined. In fact participation rates in 2012 decreased for AFL Australia wide, yet increased for the other codes. So that is long term planning in action. Keep dreaming that AFL will prosper in Western Sydney, it won't the Gnats will be gone.
Stavros
Guest
Yes they are Connor. They are 20 year old kids, 18 months out from the TAC Cup. The Demons are experienced players that look like they aren't even trying.
Connor
Roar Rookie
I'll second the heroes thing. If we lose be 80-100 points, we are "insipid". If they lose by a similar margin, they are "gallant". We are usually insipid, but they're certainly not gallant!
Connor
Roar Rookie
That was a great day. One of our two great quarters this year.
Allan
Guest
but it's a long term plan remember !
Ralph Nadeer
Roar Rookie
"Living up to their name" seriously? They are losing millions every week, have no TV ratings in Sydney or Brisbane, give away free tickets, fudge their attendance figures and are lauded as "heroes" if they lose by less than 100 points. What is their name? Mud.
Stavros
Guest
Yet another guy who says he enjoys AFL, but every post about the game is slagging it off. They sure are a strange bunch in Western Sydney.
Australian Rules
Guest
First, the Swans crowds have dropped because there's a gaping hole in their stadium. Second, the *budget* for the GWS area is about $100M so I don't think the AFL will have any problem with that. Third, in relation to point 2, the AFL has no pretensions about its footprint in Western Sydney. Despite all the froth and bubble about how "arrogant" the AFL is, here's what Demetriou actually said on this issue on 6 March 2012: "If we can increase our penetration and increase awareness of AFL in NSW, particularly in Greater Western Sydney, that would be a real bonanza for us. But I'm under no illusions that we would dominate in this territory. NRL is well embedded, as it should be. It's been here over 100 years and you've got to respect that." In my view, the AFL is seeking to attract a niche following in the W.Syd region. If it can claim that by 2032, then the strategy will have been successful.
Brendan
Guest
The Giants and Suns not only got a number of first round draft selections but there priority recruitment of 17 yr olds like Cameron took good players out of there age groups thereby further weakening later first round draft choices.
warren
Guest
The London side has struggled conitnually for crowds. You may however wish to do some research and find that there are more people playing RL in London than ever before. My understanding over 1000 kids turn out each week of the season and even a South West London school won a prestige tournament recently. By the way that 1136 is probably 1100 more than attended any Aussie Rules match in London during the year. More importantly that 1136 would have been paying customers - probably the same amount of paying customers the GWS gets to their games
Post_hoc
Guest
Totally agree, and my jibe about pet memberships was just that a jibe at the AFL
warren
Guest
But isnt this the point AR. If RL heartland clubs can only get this what chance do the GWS have. The Swan crowds you will find have gone down from their heights so taking figures from 20 years ago does not mean much. By the way did you look at how Souths Sydney have travelled and maybe the Bulldogs have gone over the last 4-5 years?? I dont know but I am sure they would have increased significantly. The biggest issue I find for the AFL is their arrogance. It is like they have said to all those in Western Sydney "It is ok we are here now you can stop pretending to like RL, Union and Soccer." And just so you know I played Aussie Rules when I was younger and enjoy the game both on and off the field. For me however I see that the Australian sports market is too crowded and even a sport as good as Aussie Rules will struggle if it does not have the basic support behind it. In the end the AFL will stick with them because WS offers so much more growth than any other area in Australia but they are going to do $100M plus before they start to see any success on and off the field.
warren
Guest
What are you talking about? The GWS have been giving memberships to those kids who take part in their Auskick program. Where are there 12k members? What a joke. Please if you want to talk about spin the AFL are the best at it. Even last week there was an article in QLD that stated more kids are playing Aussie Rules than RL. It was based on kids spending six weeks on schools program. This type of rubbish gives the AFL no credibility and even works against the
Allan
Guest
I don't see how any publicity is good publicity.
Allan
Guest
So if you think the Wanderers will only get bigger why the constant cheap shots at their fans for being bandwagoners ? Also who exactly is going to follow the Giants if each NRL team can lay claim to several hundred thousand fans, in the Eels case they are claiming 500,000 ?
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Neil, GWS tried. Its just that the good teams are good because their culture works, and players want to stay there. There were serious offers made for Swan, Sidebottom and so on ... but they re-signed, so we shrugged our shoulders and went all-out for the kids.
Neil
Guest
Well actually, I was meaning that Melbourne would be sitting on the bottom of the ladder if it were not for GWS. However, you make some good points. I would have preferred if GWS had recruited a star from one of top four most powerful clubs; like how the Suns took Ablett away from Geelong. To deplete the strength of a club that was already light on talent was unseemly.
Strummer Jones
Guest
Good article Mastermind dude. Agree with the Franklin question. They'll dust a cool $1.5m a year on a guy they dont need. Its defenders they need to bulk up on. I might venture out to the Czech car stadium again this weekend as I reckon they might break in a win this Sunday.