GWS Giants recruiter Adrian Caruso reinforced the club's tried-and-true strategy at the AFL National Draft.
The 2025 finalists brought in Oskar Taylor and Finn Davis, both of whom played their entire seasons as balanced defenders who bring offensive firepower and are difficult to beat one-on-one.
But the club sees potential versatility with both draftees.
“We draft on traits, and those guys have got the traits,” Caruso said following the National Draft.
“Finn Davis as a hybrid back and Oskar Taylor as a running back, their traits indicate to us that there is scope to play other roles, whether that's Oskar in the midfield or on the wing or whether that's Finn in the midfield, on the wing or as a running back, they've got flexibility.”
The Giants traded up to select Oskar Taylor, after putting a bid on for Sydney Academy talent Harry Kyle, following a season of steady rise for the Eastern Ranges product.
“Of all players in this year's draft pool, Oskar is the most Giants-type of player,” Caruso said.
“His speed off half-back is unparalleled, and while he still has a long way to go on the development curve, we feel we can build his strength and fitness to take him to another level in time.”
Explaining why the Giants chose to trade higher up into the draft, Caruso explained: “It was a little bit about Harry Kyle as well, (we thought) maybe there was the potential that he might not have been matched and obviously we wanted him. And then I suppose the gap for us between Oskar and our next best player was pretty big so we didn't want to run the risk of missing out on him.”
The Giants were initially set to use just one selection at the National Draft, before trading up to nab Davis at Pick 54, parting with a future fourth-round selection.
A groin injury sidelined Davis for the first month of the season, but he was a late addition to Vic Metro's squad for the U18s National Championships after adding run-and-gun to his game in 2025, having proven his lockdown capabilities as a bottom-ager.
Caruso also confirmed the club will take Riley Hamilton as a category B rookie.
A medium forward who showed promise at the U18s National Championships as a dynamic option, he also got exposed to VFL level on eight occasions in 2025.
