With the first of the expansion clubs expected to continue their improvement today we look at the second expansion club Greater Western Sydney, who will be expected to take some scalps this season.
Last season
GWS caused the biggest upset of the season in Round 1, rolling Sydney and many quickly jumping on the bandwagon. Things came crashing back to earth in Rounds 8 and 9 with consecutive 100-plus point losses with the Giants finishing with six wins and sitting in 16th place.
Their young midfield took a step up with players like Dylan Shiel, Toby Greene, and Stephen Coniglio taking pressure off Callan Ward. GWS looked to have one of the more exciting forward lines in the competition but the mixture of Jeremy Cameron, Tom Boyd and Jonathon Patton failed to work.
Next season
It was a big trade period for the Giants as they gave up future star forward Tom Boyd to bring in experienced Bulldog Ryan Griffen. GWS bolstered their defence by adding Joel Patfull and bringing further experience to support Heath Shaw and Phil Davis.
The list is still quite raw and full of talent. The Giants will look to get game time into as many players as possible while also trying to improve on last season. Expect coaching staff to place more emphasis on being competitive with 100-point losses not being tolerated. I’ve got the Giants sitting in the 14th to 16th range but with such a young list I wouldn’t be surprised if they go higher.
Who to look out for
With the removal of Boyd from the forward line mix, expect Jeremy Cameron to relish once again being a focal point. He looked lost at times last season and was trialled in a range of positions.
This season expect Patton and Boyd to team up in a two-pronged attack. On the downside he will once again receive the first or second best defender from the opposition but he’s thrived on the challenge in the past.
Needs a big year
Much has been said about the currency invested in Tom Scully to get him over to GWS. He has failed to live up to his huge price tag, failing to command the amount of ball you’d expect of a player with his reputation.
Last season his disposal count was about 19, leaving him well behind in the Giants midfield pecking order. If he does not take the next step this season, with a number of young midfield stars coming through the ranks, he might soon enough find himself spending time on the emergency list.
Best 22
FB: Patfull, Davis, Shaw
HB: Hampton, Plowman, Bugg
C: Scully, Treloar, Whitfield
HF: Palmer, Patton, Greene
FF: Shiel, Cameron, Kelly
R: Mumford, Griffen, Ward
I: Kennedy, Tomlinson, Hoskin-Elliott, Smith
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