Prior to going out in the prelims against Geelong, the Giants had a fairly solid season but still didn't seem to be meet the expectations that come with their star-studded lineup.
Despite reaching the finals, their home and away season was a bit hit or miss. The Giants left a lot to be desired and had some incredibly unconvincing performances, although it was fair to say they didn’t have much luck go their way in terms of player fitness and availability.
Hoping to leave their injury and suspension troubles behind them, the Giants have the potential to rediscover their best form from last season in an attempt to finally reach the high expectations the AFL world has set for them, if everything goes according to plan.
Ins: Jarrod Brander [West Coast], Fin Callaghan, Leek Aleer, Josh Fahey, Cooper Hamilton
Outs: Matt Buntine [delisted], Jeremy Finlayson [Port Adelaide], Tom Hutchesson [delisted], Shane Mumford [retired], Sam Reid [delisted], Nick Shipley [delisted]
The Giants were fairly persistent last season, fighting through major injury struggles and constant squad rotations to land a spot in the finals for 2021. They managed to finish seventh on the ladder, two points above Essendon in eighth.
Despite a somewhat slow start, the Giants put up some solid performances in the home and away season. A 36-point win against Carlton, A 67-point demolition job against the Crows and two nail-biting wins against Essendon and Sydney were some of the highlights of the season. They also managed to knock off eventual premiers Melbourne by nine points in Round 16.
It wasn’t all positives for the Giants, however. A draw to last-placed North Melbourne, as well as a surprising one-point loss to Gold Coast provided some incredibly lacklustre performances from what should be an elite-level team. Their finals campaign offered mixed results, with a thrilling one-point victory over Sydney followed by a 35-point smashing by Geelong in the preliminary final.
Regardless, it was a great effort by the Giants to make it as far as they did. Serious injuries to some of their star players, including superstars Phil Davis and Stephen Coniglio, made it very difficult for the Giants to be at their best throughout the whole season.
Midfield: It's no secret that the Giants boast one of the most elite midfield groups in the competition. The star-studded lineup is undoubtedly their best strength, and their ability to win the ball out of the middle as well as in stoppages makes them incredibly efficient at moving the ball up the ground.
With names such as Josh Kelly, Tim Taranto, Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio, Jacob Hopper Matt De Boer and even Tom Green in their rotation, expect the Giants to continue to put up massive numbers in possessions and clearances.
With 206cm ruckman Braydon Preuss finally looking to make a comeback and claim the number one ruck spot, the GWS midfield could be even more dangerous than usual heading into the 2022 season.
Fitness: Injury struggles took a toll on the Giants in 2021, and history has a habit of repeating itself. The Giants need to be very cautious of their player's levels of fitness as well as any injury concerns if they’re looking to avoid the same issues as last year.
With names such as Coniglio, Pruess, Phil Davis, Matt De Boer, Matt Flynn, Lachlan Keefe, Adam Kennedy and Lachie Whitfield all suffering fairly serious injuries throughout the year, the Giants found it hard to maintain a consistent squad for the majority of the season. Jesse Hogan and Nick Haynes also suffered less serious injuries but remained out for consecutive weeks.
Due to the constant rotation, individual players could not develop any sort of form, and the dynamics of the team were mixed up on a weekly basis. If the same theme continues and GWS fail to build momentum with a consistent lineup, it could be detrimental to the Giants' chances of making the finals.
A man who needs no introduction, Greene was at his fiery best in 2021, putting up career-high numbers all year round for the Giants. The newly appointed co-captain will need to keep up his form if the Giants are going to maintain their spot in the eight in 2022.
His goalscoring ability is his biggest asset, and is a factor that got the Giants over the line on many occasions last season. Greene averaged a career-high 2.5 goals per game, scoring 45 goals for the year. That includes two bags of five against Melbourne and Collingwood, and three bags of four later in the year. He’s also continuing to put up elite numbers in kicks (12.9) and disposals (17.2) per game.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
The spotlight hasn’t just been on Greene for his outstanding performances. Greene’s temperament got the better of him a few times in 2021, with his hot-headed attitude putting him in regular suspension trouble. His six-match suspension for making contact with an umpire in the finals last season rules him out for the first five games, meaning the Giants have some big shoes to fill in the forward line early on in the year.
After playing only 6 games in 2020, Green stepped up to be a key part of the GWS midfield last season. Throughout his 18 games last year, his standout performances earned him second place in the Rising Star Award voting, proving just how pivotal he was to the Giants' push for the finals.
Heading into his third season as a Giant, the 21-year-old averages 19.9 disposals, 12.2 handballs and 4.2 clearances a game. His best performance of the year came against Essendon in Round 8, where he managed 28 possessions, seven marks and three tackles in the narrow two-point victory.
Other impressive performances such as his 29-disposal game against Essendon in their second encounter, or 27-disposal, two-goal effort against West Coast proves how dangerous the big-bodied midfielder can be when he’s up and running. The young gun is certainly one to keep an eye on in 2022, and could be one of the key players in the Giants' next campaign to earn themselves a spot in the finals.
The pressure is on for the Giants from the get-go, and the first five games of the season are what could make or break their top eight chances at the end of the season. With no Toby Greene to command the forward line, it may prove difficult for the Giants to step up to the challenging fixtures.
GWS face Sydney in Round 1, Richmond in Round 2 at the 'G, the Suns in Round 3, Freo away in Round 4 and most difficult of all, Melbourne away in Round 5. Bar the Gold Coast game, none of the matches are easy wins at all, and these teams are more than capable of putting up a fight. Again, GWS still lost to the Suns last season.
With Greene out of the picture for all five matches, it's up to players like Bobby Hill, Harry Himmelberg and Jesse Hogan to step up and run the forward line in his absence. If they can’t step up to the challenge, the Giants may find themselves in a bit of hot water fairly early on in the season.
It’s a very close call for the Giants. Competition is really starting to heat up towards the lower end of the eight, with teams like Carlton, Sydney, Fremantle and Richmond all looking competitive heading towards the start of the season. GWS need to step up their game from last year if they want to hold off the opposition and secure a spot in the finals.
A full strength, in-form and fully fit Greater Western Sydney lineup is extremely formidable and is capable of knocking off even the most difficult opponents. But, as we’ve all seen, they are very rarely fully fit.
If injury struggles repeat themselves, and players like Greene continue to get themselves into trouble, the constant rotation and inability to create team chemistry may lead to the Giants' downfall towards the end of the season.
Position: 9th