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Giants CEO hopes for 2016 AFL finals spot

28th August, 2014
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Greater Western Sydney Chief executive David Matthews believes the upward trajectory of the fledgling franchise could put the Giants on course for an AFL finals spot by 2016.

After winning two games in their first season in 2012 and just one last year, GWS head into Sunday’s final-round fixture against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium with five victories for this year’s campaign.

Matthews is pleased with the club’s on-field progress and success in retaining many of their large crop of talented youngsters.

On Thursday, backs Adam Kennedy and Nick Haynes and ruckman Rory Lobb all agreed to two-year contract extensions, taking each through to the end of the 2017 season.

Matthews said the deals were further endorsement of the club’s culture.

Also happy with the efforts of first-year coach Leon Cameron, he believed the 16th-placed club’s maiden finals appearance wasn’t far way.

“We told the AFL Commission on Monday we started the year targeting four to six wins and improving our percentage to try to get it closer to about 80 (currently 75.3),” Matthews said.

“All the measures, inside 50s and all the other things that Leon sets his benchmarks have progressed very, very well this year.

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“Clearly, the scoreboard is a major measure for the club and we want it to go forward this year.

“You’d love to think we think we can push up and win eight to 10 next year and the year after, who knows?

“We’re certainly very, very ambitious about our plans on the footy field in the next couple of years. We want to come up quickly.”

Asked about playing finals in 2016, Matthews said “Possibly … you like to think, if you continue this sort of trajectory, you’re in calculations for finals in 2016.”

Standing alongside Matthews when he made those remarks, Cameron said: “Let’s hope so, (otherwise) I might be out of a job.”

Cameron was reluctant to say whether a five to six-win season this year would earn him a pass mark.

“I don’t look at it from my point of view. I look at from the club’s point of view,” Cameron said.

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“Pass mark or not pass mark, I think we’ve set a number of KPIs.

“We feel as though we’ve achieved most of them. There’s a couple we’ve just missed out on, but I think it’s really great progression from where we’ve come from.”

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