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GWS coach Leon Cameron is taking issue with the pundits who are predicting AFL heavyweights Hawthorn, Sydney and Geelong to all slide down the ladder this season.
Sydney have made finals for the past nine years, Geelong 11 of the last 12 and Hawthorn eight of the last nine and between them they won 9 flags in 11 seasons from 2005.
The only time in the 21st century all three missed out on the finals was in 2002, when the Cats finished ninth, the Hawks tenth and the Swans 11th.
The trio have defied the competition’s equalisation measures, but there’s a widespread feeling they may all struggle to defy the laws of AFL gravity this year.
Cameron cautioned against writing off the three clubs, but recognised others were set to improve.
“Brisbane are coming hard, North Melbourne want to come hard, Essendon want to play finals,’ Cameron said.
“We want to improve on last year and everyone talks about Hawthorn Sydney and Geelong being around the mark the last 12 to 15 years constantly playing finals, winning grand finals are they going to drop off?
“I can’t see it happening. I look at their lists and they have still got a lot of quality.”
The most notable omission from the Giants team chosen for their season opener at home to Essendon on Sunday was star midfielder Josh Kelly.
Kelly didn’t play any of the Giants’ pre-season games as he recovered from knee and hip surgery.
The Giants have opted to pump another week of training into Kelly rather than roll him out against the Bombers.
First-round draft pick Jackson Hately could be in line to debut against Essendon after being named on an extended interchange.
The young midfielder’s impressive pre-season progress was stalled by a bout of tonsillitis.
Fellow high pick Jye Caldwell wasn’t considered for this week due to groin soreness.
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