For the first time since 2017, GWS won't have multiple first-round selections at the AFL Draft.
Their past seven hauls have tallied 18 selections in the opening round of the draft, a period that has helped set the Giants up for contention over the past few seasons and in the years to come.
This year, the Giants are set to make just one selection on the opening night of the draft, and won't be on the clock until the midway mark of the first round.
With just two picks at their disposal, here's how the Giants' draft plans might pan out.
Draft Hand
Picks: 12, 35 (1478 Points)
The Giants advanced two places in the queue via a trade with the Western Bulldogs earlier this off-season, leaving them with just Pick 35 to finish the draft after the first round.
Their opening selection will likely sit closer to Pick 20 by the time the Giants are first on the clock, with matched bids ahead of them set to significantly shuffle the top of the board.
Should the Giants have a third list spot to fill, they'll have access to Pick 91, which could come inside the top 60 before the end of the count.
List Needs
Midfield Punch: The arrival of Clayton Oliver has significantly strengthened the Giants' engine room for 2026, with the premiership Demon set to slot into a role alongside Tom Green and Finn Callaghan. Oliver, however, joins GWS in his late 20s, and won't be a piece of their midfield forever. Add in the ages of Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio, and it's clear the Giants need to plan for what their middle will look like by 2030. Callaghan and Green will be mainstays still, but the next wave of midfield options is lacking at GWS. An on-baller who can add some spark, offer quality effort both in and out of the contest, and be the next man up over the coming years is one to have in mind this draft window.
Speed Machine: If there's one element in Adam Kingsley's game plan we've come to familiarise ourselves with, it's speed. The Giants coach has built his system around run, spread and a turnover game that will quickly leave the opposition in a frenzy. This year's draft class is home to a handful of players who can offer that zip and run across the field, whether that be in defence, through midfield, or in attack.
Key Forward Force: The profile of the Giants' key forwards ranks needs another young, tall player coming through to be Aaron Cadman's twin in attack. Jesse Hogan is near the end of his career, and Jake Riccardi remains a third-tall option for the next few seasons. With Cadman set to step into the first-string role, it's time the Giants found their next key forward for the future.
Potential Targets
Jevan Phillipou: The younger brother of St Kilda livewire Mattaes, Jevan is a damaging midfielder who is explosive when exiting the contest. The hard-working Woodville-West Torrens talent is an astute decision maker and can get forward to have an impact in front of goal. While not the same size as his brother, Jevan makes up for it with his speed and burst, and could be one to learn from the likes of new GWS recruit Clayton Oliver, who he has a similar mould to.
| 18 RANK |  | Jevan Phillipou Woodville-West Torrens Midfielder HEIGHT: 183cm | + |
Josh Lindsay: Another option in the range of the Giants' first-round selection, Lindsay is as good a kick as they come. The Geelong Falcons and Vic Country defender-midfielder hybrid has flirted with top 10 calculations, and now firmly sits in the mix for GWS at Pick 12. A smooth-moving half-back who could eventually slot into Lachie Whitfield's post in defence could be the avenue the Giants take with their first pick.
| 16 RANK |  | Josh Lindsay Geelong Falcons Defender/Midfielder HEIGHT: 183cm | + |
Louis Emmett: Emmett had a shining bottom-aged draft year with the Oakleigh Chargers, booting 12 goals in nine games to go with a pair of appearances for Vic Metro as a 17-year-old. The 200cm talent is capable of splitting his time between the forward line and as a ruckman; however, his best role is yet to be clear. There is a view that Emmett, while stopping the tape at two metres tall, might be best suited to a key forward role, where he can pinch hit in the ruck as a supporting tall. It's a role the Giants have struggled to find the right fit for, having relied on Jake Riccardi, Lachie Keeffe and Callum Brown to aid Kieren Briggs.
| 39 RANK |  | Louis Emmett Oakleigh Chargers Ruck/Forward HEIGHT: 200cm |
