Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in the world of football, we as fans tend to get caught up in the events of days gone by.
Every footy fanatic has that one player that they long to see take the field, however long gone their days of handling a Sherrin may be.
Whether it be Daicos or Doull, Ricciuto or Richardson, fans can usually point to a single figure that captured their imagination during their formative years of watching AFL football.
SEE ALSO: If your AFL team could bring back one player - Part 1
Similar to our 'If your club could steal one player...' series, this trio of pieces will go through all 18 teams in the league, pointing at the weak spots in their best 22 and picking one of four past players to slot into their lineup and remedy their club's ailments.
We continue today with the second six teams of the competition based on alphabetical order.
Greater Western Sydney
Option 1: Steve Johnson
Although Stevie Johnson had two seasons at the Giants, his knack for being able to hit the scoreboard regularly stuck with him from his star-studded time at the Cats.
The 2007 Norm Smith medallist managed to appear 40 times for the Giants and booted 64 goals, however, he nearly missed out on playing in a Grand Final two years in a row despite his best efforts.
Johnson still wowed fans with his insane pieces of play, showing that he did not leave his bags of tricks at Kardinia Park despite a drop in output in his final year at AFL level.
There is no doubting that his time at 'The Cattery' brought more success, however, the GWS version of Stevie was still as extraordinary as we've ever known him to be.
Option 2: Heath Shaw
The Collingwood premiership player made the switch to Western Sydney in 2014 and, unlike other imported players on this list, arguably played his best footy under Leon Cameron.
The small defender was put straight into the side and never really left it, racking up only 21 fewer appearances in Sydney than he did at the Pies over the course of nine years.
In fact, Heath Shaw got his first All-Australian blazer in 2015 and won his second the following year, exemplifying the standard of footy he was playing during his time in the harbour city. Shaw topped off his successful 2015 by also claiming his first and only Kevin Sheedy Medal, thus cementing himself in GWS folklore.
Despite having some off-field controversies over the course of his career, Shaw was still at the very core of the Giants set-up for an extended period of time and will be hailed as one of the finest defenders to ever come through the doors at Olympic Park.
Option 3: Brett Deledio
Brett Deledio's GWS career was far from ideal, still, he was still able to put in a shift whenever he took the field for Leon Cameron's side, despite it not being often.
The elite distributor struggled with injuries as he did in his last year at Richmond, only managing to string together 32 appearances in three years for GWS.
His numbers were sublime for a man of his stature, managing 20.2 disposals per game in his best year - 9.9 of them being kicks - exemplifying that the talent which earned him pick 1 in 2003 very much was still intact.
Deledio must've been heartbroken to leave Tigerland just prior to the side entering their glory years, especially how underwhelming, by his standards, his time in Sydney was, however, there were still some bright moments to look back on all things considered.
Option 4: Shane Mumford
Shane Mumford absolutely relished the physical side of the AFL, with his huge frame meaning that the other guy would certainly come off second best should they try to clean up 'Mummy'.
Mumford spent seven seasons at the Giants after switching from crosstown rivals Sydney before coming out of retirement in 2019 after a year off. His inaugural year at the Giants saw him win the club best-and-fairest with his average amount of hitouts per game being 36.4 - second only to Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands.
All in all, 'Mummy' was hugely integral to the Giants operations over the course of his time there, and the club will have to do well to find a replacement who could fill his big boots.
Verdict
This one's a bit harder, however, it would likely come down to either Shaw or Mumford considering the amount of time they spent at the club and the level of performance they delivered week in week out.
With Brayden Preuss coming back into the side for 2022, Heath Shaw will get the nod in this fictitious universe off the back of his consistency over an extended period of time. His defensive actions will serve to tutor the younger Giants - especially the up-and-coming Lachie Ash.
