Five talking points from GWS Giants vs Western Bulldogs AFL preliminary final

It was one of the greatest matches that football fans have ever seen, ending in a thrilling victory to the Western Bulldogs by just a single goal. Check out all our talking points from yesterday’s preliminary final.

The fairytale is alive
I don’t think there’s any doubt left in my mind that if the Bulldogs manage to pull off a premiership next week, it will be the greatest story to every crop up in our game, and that’s obviously up against some incredibly strong opposition.

Living in the time of Leicester City and Believeland, though, a Bulldogs flag feels like it would be the perfect way to cap off one of the best years of sport we’ve ever seen.

Can they do it? Absolutely. They’ve got the hunger, the drive, the speed and the skills. They’ve gone far further than the odds suggest should ever be possible and there’s no good reason to believe they can’t go one step more.

Our game has seen some incredible stories over the 150 or so years that it has been played, but a flag from seventh, won by a team playing just their third grand final in 92 years in the competition, crippled by injury and crisis throughout the year? I don’t think that can be beat.

Should the Giants be flag favourites in 2017?
Despite now being out of the race for 2016, the Giants have already been installed as the flag favourites for 2017 according to betting markets.

That’s a fair call given the general view of the AFL public that the team is on the verge of a period of dominance. There’s an immense amount of talent on the list and it’s hard not to see success in the near future.

That said, don’t rule out a bit of a dip next year. Shane Mumford played a nearly full season this year for the first time in his career, and would be at long odds to pull that off again in 2017. Can he and the Giants’ other veteran players like Heath Shaw and Steve Johnson keep up their current pace?

And what about the off-season exits – the Giants are set to lose a fair bit of depth this October and might also lose a best 22 player or two, with Rory Lobb probably the biggest worry. He was one of their best yesterday and would be a significant loss.

This might have been the Giants’ chance to snatch one before their time, ala Hawthorn in 2008. Or, maybe they’ll win the next five straight. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise!

Boyd’s breaking out at the right time
Usually if a key forward didn’t kick a goal in three consecutive finals you’d be wondering how much value he really has for the team and even asking if he should be dropped.

But Tom Boyd has put in an excellent finals campaign – not starring, per se, but playing his role very well. When Jordan Roughead went down early, Boyd had to go head-to-head with Shane Mumford, one of the biggest beasts in the league, and held his own incredibly well.

It’s really a credit to Luke Beveridge’s excellent coaching. He demands versatility from his players and in doing so has turned Boyd from something of a one-dimensional key forward into a player who can have an impact all over the ground.

Perhaps Boyd will someday become the forward-line force that he has the potential to be. For now, he’s doing extremely well even if he’s not hitting up the scoreboard.

Smith comes out to Clay
If Clay Smith had played a bit-part role through the Bulldogs’ finals campaign, that would’ve been a pretty good story all things considered, especially given the repeat injuries he’s had to work his way back form.

Instead he’s been a match-winner against both the Hawks and now the Giants, kicking six goals in the past two weeks (oh, and laying 18 tackles across the fortnight as well).

That’s nothing short of incredible for a bloke who injuries have restricted to less than fifty AFL games. And to hear him speak of his late friend after the match was moving, too.

Stevie J left to rue his stuff-up
No one wants to cop a suspension during finals but Steve Johnson would be filled with regret tonight knowing that his team lost the chance to progress to a grand final in part due to his absence from the field.

His replacement, Rhys Palmer, really lacked impact and in a game that was decided by just a single goal you feel it’s pretty likely that Johnson could have been the difference.

Notably, he’s still without a contract for next year, but the Giants gave an indication after the game that he will get an offer from them to play on in 2017, should he choose to do so.

You’d expect that after today, his answer will be a very strong yes. He’s a competitive bloke who would refuse to let his career end in this kind of disappointment, if given any other opportunity.