Shaw, Scully and Stevie J - the maligned recruits driving GWS up the ladder

For varied reasons there was negativity surrounding Heath Shaw, Tom Scully and Steve Johnson when they arrived at GWS as recruits. Yet all three are now in blazing form, and are helping make the Giants a genuine premiership threat.

GWS are overwhelming favourites to beat Fremantle today in Perth, a victory which may well vault them into the top four. If they are to push on and have a big impact in September then a lot will be riding on the continued success of Shaw, Scully and Johnson.

When he was picked up by the Giants late in 2013, Shaw was 28 years old, coming off his least productive year for Collingwood in five seasons, and was mired in controversy.

The Pies had just suffered a shock elimination final loss to Port Adelaide, prompting coach Nathan Buckley to make pointed comments about problems with the team’s ‘culture’. It seemed at the time to be a dig at troubled players such as Shaw, who had copped heavy suspensions in previous seasons for a betting scandal and a drink-driving incident.

Shaw had suffered a major brain explosion in the final loss to Port Adelaide, giving away a double goal with some unruly behaviour, and had regularly been seen arguing during matches with teammates and Buckley.

While his footballing talent was undoubted, his temperament was highly questionable, and so the Giants’ decision to draft him into a young, impressionable group was met with scepticism by many fans and pundits.

There was similar uncertainty among outsiders about the recruitment after last season of Cats veteran Steve Johnson, another highly-gifted yet volatile footballer. Some people questioned whether, turning 33 years old this season, Johnson was past his best and would simply be keeping one of the Giants’ plethora of talented youngsters out of the side.

Scully, meanwhile, arrived at GWS under far more pressure than either of the vastly more experienced Johnson or Shaw. Selected by Melbourne with pick 1 in the 2009 AFL draft, Scully had a sensational debut season, averaging 21 touches and four tackles from 21 games.

After an injury-interrupted 2011 season, he was snatched away by the big bucks of the fledgling Giants, leaving Demons fans livid at not just his departure but the manner in which it played out. While the other expansion side Gold Coast had got the game’s best player, Gary Ablett Jnr, as their marquee man, GWS had plumped for a guy in Scully with just 31 games to his name.

Whereas Ablett dominated from the get go for the Suns, Scully struggled for impact season after season, becoming widely regarded as a ‘bust’ recruit. In his first four years at the Giants, he averaged just 19 touches a game.

Despite having an elite aerobic capacity Scully did not seem to be exploiting that gift. That has changed dramatically so far this season, with Scully seemingly covering as much ground as any player in the competition.

Off-the-ball footage highlighted by On The Couch recently showed Scully repeatedly running opponents ragged. Spending plenty of time in the forward half of the ground, he has averaged 27 touches, one goal and 4.5 inside 50s per game.

He seems to be working harder on and off the ball than at any time since his debut season for the Demons. In doing so, Scully is shedding some of the ceaseless negative focus which has followed him since his high-profile club swap.

Named on the opposite forward flank for GWS today is Johnson, who is proving to be a brilliant pick up by the Giants. Young GWS spearhead Jeremy Cameron last week spoke in glowing terms about the leadership that Johnson had brought to the inexperienced Giants forward line.

Johnson also is having a major direct impact on games. Not only has he averaged 22 touches and 2.7 goals per game, but he’s in the top 10 in the AFL for inside 50s.

Meanwhile, coming off the back flank, Shaw is in All-Australian form. He is second in the league for rebound 50s, to go with 25 touches a game. Crucially, he is breaking the lines and gaining metres for his side, as highlighted by his 3.5 bounces per game which places him third in the competition.

Just like Scully and Johnson, Shaw is proving the doubters wrong. If that trio maintain their form for the rest of the season, GWS can go deep into September.