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 didnโt 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]
Defining Period
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 canโt step up to the challenge, the Giants may find themselves in a bit of hot water fairly early on in the season.
