Which forward line should the Giants take to the finals?

GWS have been a mixed bag in 2017, as despite finishing in the top four for a second consecutive season the pre-season flag favourites underachieved in the home-and-away season.

However, this could soon be a distant memory as Leon Cameron’s men look to put their inconsistencies behind them and begin their second finals campaign with a qualifying final on Thursday against minor premiers Adelaide.

At their best the Giants are clearly the most talented side in the competition. Coming into the competition just five years ago it is incredible to see just how far this club has come with an excellent mixture of up and coming stars and mentoring veterans. However, despite all these strengths one thing has been significantly holding the Giants back in recent times, the mixture of players in their forward 50.

There is no denying GWS exhibit some of the best firepower in the competition with the likes of Jeremy Cameron, Toby Greene, Jonathan Patton, Devon Smith, Rory Lobb and Steve Johnson making up their forward line.

With a selection such as this it is hard to see many problems emerging, as many expected them to take the next step this season and overwhelm opposition defenders. This proved not to be the case, as after a strong start to the season gaping hole began to emerge in the Giants forward half.

The first of these is their mixture of talls. Boasting Cameron, Lobb and Patton down forward and Shane Mumford in the ruck, the Giants have found themselves to be a bit too top heavy this season. With the idea that will be able to dominate teams in the air, having these four players in the side at one time has proved to be a negative for GWS as they have been unable to apply the forward pressure needed to hold the ball in the attacking fifty.

This lack of pressure can be seen through their inability to tackle, ranking 13th in the competition in total tackles as well as being only 10th in total one percenters. In a game that is now dominated by retaining possession of the ball and locking the ball in your attacking half, it is clear that in order to seriously contend in September they need more of a presence once the ball hits the ground.

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Richmond is a great example of how successful a small pressure centric forward line can be in the modern, with Damian Hardwick mainly only playing the one tall in Jack Riewoldt along with a mosquito flight of desperate small forwards such as Daniel Rioli, Dan Butler, Jason Castagna and Shane Edwards. This mixture has made it really difficult for opposition teams to get the ball out of their defence as well as generate penetration off the half back line.

So which three talls should the Giants take to Adelaide on Thursday Night?

With the rain seeming like it will stay away from the Adelaide Oval, the temptation will definitely be their to play Lobb alongside Patton and Cameron. However, with the manner by which finals are played as well as the attacking penetration the Crows get out of their back half, Leon Cameron must swing the axe and drop Rory Lobb from the line-up in favour of a small such as Matt De Boer.

This will help the Giants immensely in trying to contain the Crows excellent ball movement as De Boer would be able to play a role on either Brodie Smith or Rory Laird as well as kick a goal if the opportunity arises.

The second forward conundrum facing the Giants leading into Thursday’s clash is the role of Steve Johnson. One of the best finals performers in recent history, Stevie J has always relished the big stage. However now in the twilight of his career the question must be asked, is he still good enough to positively contribute to the Giants as they push for a premiership.

Renowned for his knowledge of the game and ability to kick a goal when his sides needs him the most, it is safe to say that Johnson has lost a lot of the athletic attributes that made him so damaging in the past.

(AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Johnson’s declining physical stature can be seen through his recent performances, with his most recent game against Geelong a great example as the veteran only managed eight disposals two tackles and no scores.

With a number of younger players waiting in the wings many are calling for this to be the end of Stevie J. However, still being a new franchise I wouldn’t be flicking the bails off of Johnson’s career just yet as despite his deteriorating athletic ability he still has the X-Factor that could win the Giants a big finals.

He deserves one last chance on the big stage, and I believe that will come at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday Night. His past history in finals alone will make the Adelaide defenders sweat and will be a match-up worry for Adelaide coach Don Pyke. Along with his match winning ability he is also a great mentor for Toby Greene and will attract some attention of the budding star.

So, two days out from the First Qualifying Final, many question marks still hover over Leon Cameron as he looks to send the perfect team to Adelaide in hope of gaining a preliminary final birth.

My predicted GWS lineup
FB: A Corr P Davis N Haynes
HB: Z Williams A Tomlinson H Shaw
C: T Scully D Shiel L Whitfield
HF: J Hopper J Cameron B Deledio
FF: D Smith J Patton T Greene
FOLL: S Mumford C Ward J Kelly
INT: N Wilson S Coniglio S Johnson M De Boer