While cantankerous sorts are doubtless complaining that we’re over-hyping Greater Western Sydney, there’s a reason for the excitement. GWS’s defeat of Sydney wasn’t just a great result, it was an objectively great game of football.
During the Big Day Not Out pub cricket tournament the next day, my skipper made sure everyone knew he’d tipped GWS. I reckon he was the only person in the country who did. Every media outlet had the Swans as one of three flag contenders. No one saw this coming.
While Sydney claims to respect the Giants, they did (Lance) frankly start like it was their final pre-season outing before a nice weekend off. By the time they realised they had a game on their hands, they were shocked into submission by the young Giants’ intensity.
That’s not saying the Giants are suddenly a top-four side, though they’re enjoying their first visit to that end of the ladder this week. What it does mean is that their best football can match the output of very good teams, and that they’ll now carry that confidence. They’ve also ensured that all sides will be much more wary of playing them.
It started predictably. GWS skipped out to an early lead but were soon reeled in. Sydney put on four of the next five goals to finish the quarter, then added the first just after quarter time to go 24 points up in wet conditions. The script looked clear from there.
But there was a new determination about the Giants. Recruit Josh Hunt had set the tone early, chasing hard, pushing forward to set up a Jonathon Patton goal, then bodying an opponent to take a one-handed defensive-50 mark with one arm held.
It was exactly that bit of grunt that GWS so badly lacked last year, and other players followed. They generated waves of pressure through the second quarter, in a fanatical defensive effort that gave Sydney little clean use of the ball. The Swans’ early goal was also their last, and that from a terrible umpiring decision, Ben McGlynn getting a free after sliding into Lachie Whitfield’s legs.
The Giants were unfazed by taking on players far more storied than themselves, making a special point of getting right in Lance Franklin’s face and hitting him hard in every tackle, while Toby Greene tussling with Jarrad McVeigh all the way to the bench will be long remembered.
Eventually the pressure told and the scores started to come, Jeremy Cameron out-hustling three Swans running back, then Nick Malceski of all people being run down five metres from his goal line to Tom Scully’s benefit.
Sydney did enough to stay ahead through the third, but GWS kept the intensity. Devon Smith hauled down Craig Bird, Callan Ward marked with the flight when Sydney finally got a good run forward through Franklin, and Sam Frost laid a tackle so huge he injured his own shoulder.
After Ward snapped the deficit back to three points, there was more GWS tackling, hassling and smothering to trap the ball in their forward half. Harry Cunningham blazed off the deck and out on the full in Sydney’s desperation to clear. When it did finally reach the other end, Phil Davis poleaxed himself to deny Franklin seconds before three-quarter time.
With the game in the balance until deep in the last, you just expected late disappointment for GWS. But if anything summed their night up, it was the teenage Whitfield, after his filthy night from the umpires, taking on Franklin on the wing, selling the feint and then driving the ball forward.
Hunt ran back to make a desperate goal-saving tackle on McGlynn, and the pressure became so intense that even the likes of McVeigh and Sam Reid shanked defensive clearances to surrender goals.
It was Whitfield with the smother to set up the heavily strapped Frost for the sealer, then Whitfield himself with a late bonus. Five goals in all were slammed through after GWS drew level, making the finish more carnival than coronary.
“It’s almost like the birth of a football club,” said Jason Dunstall at the final siren. “It’s when they’ve stopped making up the numbers and they’re here to play.” For once the commentary wasn’t hyperbole. Yes, it was a significant moment. That’s why we don’t need to talk it up. It’s already there.
ciudadmarron
Guest
Serious question - how many of these boys from "North Shore" are at boarding school? How many of the Sydney Uni boys are from Sydney? Pennant Hills and surrounds has long been one of the stronger areas for AFL, there are a number of strong junior clubs in the area - that doesn't surprise me.
hypnic jerk
Guest
Sydney 1982..now that was a tough market. Average crowds were a lot less than the giants are experiencing now. 30 years from now...who knows, time will tell.
marco
Guest
don't get carried away after one good win. Western Sydney is a tough market for AFL.
Tad
Roar Rookie
I think there is a slow, sometimes painful change afoot, i say this because as someone who takes great interest in community grass roots Australian football, i can see it, and i think it is going to be quite painful for some fans of other codes in Sydney, those people that have a negative view of the Australian game. For EX, the ACT/NSW under 18 team was announced the other day, a few years ago the squad was mainly made up of Riverina boys , with some ACT lads, Broken Hill boys and then maybe a couple of Sydney lads. Out of the 50 boys named 29 come from Sydney, 4 from Newcastle ( Black Diamond) and 1 from the Illawarra. http://aflnswact.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Documents/Talent/NSWACT_RAMS_TAC_Cup_List_for_Albury_Camp.pdf
Allan
Guest
Really ? You know Western Sydney well do you ?
Ac
Guest
Expect big crowds from now on
Axle an the guru
Guest
These teams will stay together especially GWS, the AFL will make sure of it . People should start lookin forward in a couple of years to watching these to clubs sharing premierships between them. The talent they have been spoonfed guarantees success. -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Particularly on the key position guys, I can't see them keeping Patton, Cameron & Boyd. One will eventually become third choice, and at that point will need traffic control supervisors to help direct the dumptrucks full of money that other clubs will be backing up the front lawn of his house. If the Bulldogs were willing to part with 1.8 million over 4 years for for Crameri, who is a solid forward option but not in the same class as any of those 3, you can easily expect offers of $600,000/year minimum thrown at any of those players. Where tall forwards are concerned, it's a players market alright!
Geoff Lemon
Expert
I tend to agree - lots of those players will stay on as the teams improve, also because they'll know they were the foundation players of the club, and there's a chance of a place in history should they succeed. But some of the true guns, especially the key position guys, will definitely be offered the kind of contracts they can't turn down by struggling clubs with cap space. If someone throws a Buddy-sized deal at you, it's very hard to refuse.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
true - however in recent times we have seen plenty of footballers take less money for the chance at a flag(s). Hawthorn, Geelong, Sydney and Collingwood hardly lost any quality players during their premiership windows and in fact Hawthorn have been able to add quality experienced players in their time at the top in Burgouyne, Hale, Gunstan etc. If GWS and Suns start winning regularly in the next few years and challenging for premierships I dare say they will sell that message for being a premiership player as hard as the successful VIC clubs did during the expansion stage when very few stars were willing to leave the confines of their home city. They may lose one or two here and there but I can't see an exodus from either club when they are winning.
Anthony D'Arcy
Roar Pro
The problem with having high draft picks of the same age is that their value is going to increase at the same time, and a lot of them will be out of contract at the same time. I reckon it's highly unlikely they'll be able to hold onto them for long.
JK
Roar Rookie
Your right Geoff - this will be a serious team this year and a contender in 2. We may all look back on the GC and GWS "experiment" and conclude they were given too many draft picks - imagine having the likes of Whitfiled, Greene, Treloar, Congilio, Cameron, Patton etc etc all in the same team for the next 10 years. Wow.
Anthony D'Arcy
Roar Pro
I had pegged myself as optimistic, since I said before the game that the Giants would be competitive. Hard to know whether they can sustain that level of performance, but it's great to know that at their best they can knock off the best. I have however said for a while that the Giants will win a premiership before the Suns, because their key position players (providing they're not injured) are better.
Mango Jack
Guest
I reckon Sam Frost had tackling lessons from Izzy Folau while he was there. You don't see the shoulder used effectively very much in AFL, but that was a cracker that any rugby centre would be proud of. Well done Giants. The commitment was excellent and sustained.
TomC
Roar Guru
Good description. The good news for the Giants is that they outworked the Swans. They applied defensive pressure consistently across four quarters. Even when Sydney were on top in the second term GWS did enough to limit the number of clear shots on goal the Swans got. The bad news for the rest of the season is that a young team can’t rely on outworking their opponents too often. But at least they won’t have to resort to dropping large numbers behind the ball to limit the damage like last year. Nor will rival teams rest players or produce anything less than their best against them. 2014 will still be a learning year for GWS, but with some more advanced classes.