The evolution of Greater Western Sydney has been impressive – from uncompetitive, to bad, to competitive, to good – but for them to take the next step as a real contender (which appears inevitable), they need to take their show on the road.
In Round 10, however, the Giants once again came up short away from home against a decent team – If not for some wayward kicking, the Crows would have put the visitors away nice and early.
There has been much discussion this season about West Coast’s uninspiring form outside of WA, but very little about the Giants’ struggles away from their home grounds.
More AFL:
» Our game is too good for red cards
» AFL Power Rankings: Round 10
» The Roar’s AFL MVP: Round 10 votes, leaderboard
» Can Hawthorn win the flag without Jarryd Roughead?
Since the beginning of 2015, GWS have been a formidable host, winning 13 of 16 games while scoring on average 102 points per game and conceding just 75.
In 16 games out of their comfort zone, they have just five wins, scoring 75 points a game and conceding 83. Simplistically, they’re a six-goal worse side as visitors.
That’s not quite as drastic as the Eagles – who are on average more than 55 points worse off away from Subiaco in their past 32 home-and-away games – but it’s nonetheless a significant differential and one they’ll likely need to improve if they are to maintain their top-four position.
The Giants have just eight road wins in their short history, the best of which was probably their round-five defeat of St Kilda at Docklands.
Not that Adelaide will give a stuff about GWS’s road struggles. The Crows comprehensively outplayed the Giants on Saturday night thanks in large part to the contributions of a few players even die-hard footy followers would struggle to pick out of a line-up.
Rory Atkins collected a career-high 28 disposals and Jarryd Lyons added 20, including six clearances, to help turn what looked a midfield mismatch – seriously, look at the teams from that game and name Adelaide’s fourth-best midfielder – in the Crows’ favour.
Losing the midfield battle to the Crows, who have a nuclear arsenal in their forward half, is bad news.
It was an important victory for Adelaide, who in ten games have already played six of the top-seven teams for two wins and four losses. For them to be 6-4 at this point with a percentage of 119 is nothing to sneeze at.
At the MCG on Sunday, the Bulldogs also got a significant win. Aided in no small part by Magpies dropping like flies, the Dogs won at a venue they won’t visit again in the home-and-away season.
Much like the Giants and Eagles, the former Footscray are a different team depending on the venue. Since Luke Beveridge took the reins, the Dogs are almost an eight-goal better side at Etihad Stadium.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Bulldogs did what good teams do: get four points when below their best on another team’s turf.
It’s turf Melbourne would no doubt have preferred to play on. Instead of hosting the Power on their home field, the Demons (who are 4-2 at the MCG this season) took a young side to Alice Springs where they played poorly in a “home” loss.
Melbourne would’ve pocketed some much-appreciated coin for the journey, but I wonder what four points are worth.
jax
Guest
Spot on Nifty. The media tries to create headlines and controversy and cause division and debate. Facts and context are not important. Even Paul Roos came out a few weeks ago and said (I'm paraphrasing) - 'the media have a job to do, they want to create stories and controversies'. Look at Buckley's obvious disdain for them. The media is a charade, a game and people need to realise that most of it isn't true and stop dancing to the beat of their drum. I have no sympathy for Lyon. You reap what you sow but I do hope that he recovers, learns from his mistakes and becomes a better man.
jax
Guest
You inferred/implied it, read what you wrote (uninspiring, drastic, last 32 away games etc). You didn't use the FTB term but you implied it no question. You also omitted context e.g it's rare for any team to beat quality opposition away from home. TBH, when I saw your headline I clicked it because I thought that you were going to write a more positive piece eg WC winning 3 flags, only missing finals a few times in their history, travelling every fortnight, backs to the walls and against the odds in a competition stacked in favour of Victorian clubs, new teams that began with talented youth and finally - could GWS win a flag a flag in their 6th season like WC did and play in a GF in their 5th season. That would have been a more interesting, and positive comparison IMO.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
Nowhere in this story did I refer to anyone as flat-track bullies. I merely suggested that GWS would likely need to start beating good teams away if they are to finish in the top four. There's no shame in having a great home-ground advantage.
Adrian Polykandrites
Expert
I meant that St Kilda this is year is probably the best team GWS have beaten away from home. That doesn't necessarily make it their best win. Apologies.
Nifty
Guest
Yes I agree Michael ,this flat track bullies originated from Gary Lyon 2-3 years ago after seeing his team Melbourne have another crap year his frustration showed and he pretty well attacked West Coast and Freo and again last year right up until the last round he showed them no respect at all ,albeit they did punch above their weight,he just doesn't like either team over here,but hey who the hell is Gary Lyon now ,a bit of karma I say
Kath
Guest
The Away results for 2016 so far are 2:3 with wins in Melbourne and Perth and losses in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. So 2015 was 3 wins, 8 losses. How many of those occurred after Mumford got injured? If the 2016 trend continues, we'll still win more at home than away, but the difference is unlikely to be as great. That means it might be a bit early to say that GWS are going down the path of the Eagles. And although in terms of margins, our game against St Kilda was our biggest win, in terms of our best away win was against Melbourne at the MCG in 2014, where we had three players go down injured in the first half not to play for the rest of the game. Patton, Davis and Ward IIRC, so no one special.
Lightning Rod
Guest
and why do the eagles keep getting used as the yardstick for FTB's or home ground heroes, when its been decisively proven that most teams have similar home and away stats or home ground advantage..its so tedious and silly. also the amount of travel the W.A teams have to do is outrageous in comparison-and always will be re a level competition..i know its a hoary old chestnut but its a real nut job!!!! there are also proven health risks with long term flying..Jakovich says his career was shortened because of it.
Christo the Daddyo
Guest
A 22 point defeat to the Crows at the Adelaide Oval is hardly cause for panic. Neither team really looked like they were on their game to be honest.
Batman
Guest
I agree with this very sensible comment about this media-created nonevent. It matters who you're playing away plus these stories ignore that Melbourne teams have an advantage in playing more local games. Getting beaten by a better team when playing away is not a black mark but if the Eagles lose games to teams below them that is a problem away or at home. All the Eagles need to do is win enough games to get to the finals with few injuries.
Michael Huston
Guest
What is it about 2016 and the obsession with home performances and away performance? The greatest teams in AFL history were all without a doubt better at home than away. Why is it such a big deal that teams are taking advantage of their home ground advantage but not doing as well away? Unless they're Hawthorn, or Geelong of 07-11 or Brisbane of the early 2000's, your poor performances are generally going to be away from home.
jax
Guest
All sides struggle to win away against quality teams. That's why WC easily beat the Hawks in the QF at Subi last year. Look at WC's draw so far this year and you will see that they have been fixtured to play the weaker teams at home and the quality teams away (Hawks, Swans, Cats, Port, Dogs away - Lions, Freo, Tigers, Pies, Saints, GCS at home). In most of their home games WC had poor patches for a quarter or more. They had the exact same poor patches away from home but quality opposition will punish you while the lower teams can't. The Hawks game in R2 was the exception as they played poorly for over a half. Their away form hasn't been very different to their home form but one needs to look past win/losses, margins and media headlines to notice that. They have played 30 mins of poor football most weeks, home and away, period. The last 3 weeks they have strung 4 quarters of decent footy together. Also, these away win/losses are exacerbated for non-Victorian clubs because they travel every fortnight while some Vic clubs travel 4-5 times a year. The more miles that you fly per the harder it becomes. How many years do you have to go back to tally up eg the Pies last 32 interstate trips?
TomC
Roar Guru
All teams play significantly better at home than interstate. This will always be the case for GWS, but hopefully they'll get good enough that it won't matter. During the 2001 season, one little fact that got a lot of play in the media was the Lions' terrible record at the MCG - they'd won just five of their previous forty games there. Of course, they won the grand final fairly convincingly, and that was the last we heard of that statistic. It's a problem until it isn't.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Our game is one on which there should be a home ground advantage; simply because unlike other codes the playing areas are a different size. And teams will base their game plan around the size of their ground. But it's curious why GWS are so good at home but struggle to replicate that form on the road. An imposing home record at both Spotless & Manuka last year & this year - but Canberra is more travel than the SCG where the Giants have never looked like winning. Spotless' dimensions aren't markedly different from elsewhere. The facilities are goid quality - it's not like the hostile cramped away rooms with cold showers of some old hostile venues. Adelaide Oval had a massive vocal crowd on Saturday night, and no doubt that influenced the game. But that's not the same at Spotless - there's certainly some noise being made but we don't have the numbers to pull off what the Crows crowd do. It's a bit of a mystery. Maybe the Giants haven't got their away routine & mentality right yet. If so, that will come in good time.
Jason
Guest
Well it will get worse this weekend .They will be in for a thumping at Simmonds Stadium after the CATS got rolled by CAARTON..
ken
Guest
YES .This is where I`d expect the GWS to slide out of the 8 in the next 4 weeks..
Mister Football
Roar Guru
A bit different for the giants because most of their away games will be in Melbourne, they don't get the frequent flyer points that the eagles and dockers rack up.