Last Season
A nightmare finish for the Giants in 2019. But it was a dream return to winning ways as Greater Western Sydney finished with 13 wins to land sixth place and make their inaugural Grand Final appearance.
The 89-point loss to the Tigers on the final day of the season will play as a haunting mark for the Giants' finals campaign, but their September series was no failed mission. A three-point win against the Lions in Queensland and their narrow victory over Collingwood in the preliminary final at the MCG displayed the brand of football Giants fans have long-awaited to see.
Their season kick-started with a commanding victory over the Bombers before falling to fellow premiership contenders in West Coast. Leon Cameron's side were soon back on top after collecting eight points from Richmond and Geelong over the next fortnight.
Losses to Fremanlte, Hawthorn and Adelaide saw a concerning lapse in form, preventing GWS from a strong hold on the competition in the first half of the season.
It's hard to say the Giants capped off the home and away season in desired fashion, as their victory over the Suns in the final round being their only convincing victory in their last five matches. That spell included a 10-goal loss to the Bulldogs at GIANTS Stadium, but GWS were soon primed to place that performance in the past with a 58-point victory over the Dogs in the first week of September.
In natural Giants fashion, the club saw a collective of young talent take their game to a new level as Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper stood up in the absence of Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio.
The Giants midfield welcomed Matt De Boer's tagging tendencies to its rotation, while defender Zac Williams and star forward Toby Greene flexed their capabilities in the heart of the ground.
Spearhead Jeremy Cameron claimed the Coleman Medal with his 67 goals for the year and was the sole Giants player to be selected into the All-Australian side.
Off-season
In: Sam Jacobs (Adelaide Crows)
Out: Dawson Simpson (retired), Brett Deledio (retired), Adam Tomlinson (Melbourne), Jon Patton (Hawthorn), Aiden Bonar (North Melbourne), Dylan Buckley (delisted)
Off-season grade: C+
The Giants would be getting an A+ for player retention. Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly and Nick Haynes all recommitted to the club during the year, lifting pressure off their shoulders heading into the off-season.
The Giants were able to address the obvious concern of 2019 - their ruck. The club successfully made a move for out-of-favour Adelaide big man Sam Jacobs and welcomed 'Sauce' with open arms.
Jacobs lost his first-string position at the Crows after the rise of Reilly O'Brien and still found time to dominate at the bounce, averaging 35 hitouts a game - ranking as fourth best in the league.
The 31-year-old is past his best, but a player that played at least 20 games in the eight seasons prior to last year will give this Giants midfield the consistent access to the first-ball they require.
As for the departures, the Giants lost a number of big names without losing any staples in their best 22.
Jon Patton, Adam Tomlinson and Aiden Bonar all made moves to Victoria. Patton didn't feature for the Giants at all in 2019 as injuries kept him on the sidelines, while Bonar managed to break into the side on just the two occasions.
The duties of Dawson Simpson and Dylan Buckley were not seen to be required, with the aforementioned Simpson joining Brett Deledio in retirement.
The Giants held a strong hand entering the draft and were gifted a great set of cards as they left draft night with a host of highly touted youngsters.
The Giants made a move up the board to collect defender Lachie Ash at 4th overall and landed academy star Tom Green just six picks later. Both players are likely to feature under Leon Cameron this season, with the Giants remaining strong contenders for the premiership.
Defining Period
The Giants will be keen to start off 2020 stronger than their last season, as they open their campaign against Geelong at GIANTS Stadium before facing Melbourne, the Bulldogs and Essendon to end their opening month. The Giants will return home from Melbourne in round five for the 'Battle of the Bridge' against Sydney.
By the end of the fifth round, the Giants would hope for at least four wins to attach a promising shade of confidence to their season. They will welcome likely cellar-dwellers Gold Coast to Western Sydney in round six before playing Richmond (away), Collingwood (home) and West Coast (away) in three of their next four matches.
That run will bring them to 10 games into their season, having played six or seven sides gunning for finals this season. A record of 8-2 or better will be sure to have them as premiership favourites, or at least contenders once again.
Best 22
B: Heath Shaw, Phil Davis, Nick Haynes
HB: Zac Williams, Sam Taylor, Harry Perryman
C: Josh Kelly, Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield
HF: Stephen Coniglio, Jeremy Finlayson, Toby Greene
F: Brent Daniels, Jeremy Cameron, Harry Himmelberg
FOLL: Sam Jacobs, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper
I/C: Matt de Boer, Adam Kennedy, Tom Green, Lachie Ash
Champion Data says
"When you make a Grand Final, lose only one player from that team, add what could be your No.1 ruckman bring in another two top-10 picks, you're in a nice spot to go one step further.
"If the Giants can finally have a decent run with injury, their best possible team this year is well ahead of the team that ran out against Richmond. But it's a big 'If'."
Strengths and Weaknesses
An all-star studded midfield? Tick. A threatening forward trio including the Coleman medalist? Tick. While key assets continue to lead the Giants moving forward, their greatest dependency is on their backline.
The GWS back-third ranked No.1 in the competition for conceding a score from inside 50's, rating at 39.6%. Phil Davis held the highest average for intercept marks in the league last season while partner in crime Nick Haynes took more marks than any other general defender.
The fluidity of their backline went unnoticed in 2019, as they ranked in the top five for marks inside 50 (against), 1-on-1 win% (against), D50 ground-ball differential and % scores per inside 50 entry (against).
The addition of Sam Taylor and return of Aidan Corr added relief to the Giants scoreboard immensely. Their reliance didn't fall on the usual suspects and instead was shared throughout, as any player found in the Giants back six knew their role and on more occasions then none, played that role to perfection.
Adam Kennedy found new life at the Giants in their backline and the ever-dependable Zac Williams was relieved of his duties when relied on in the midfield.
The Giants' fringe defenders have a thirst for minutes, with their depth extending into 2020 with the inclusion of Lachie Ash. Ash ranked No.1 in the Under-18 Championships for metres gained, suiting to the dependency the Giants have on using the ball by foot.
The downfall the Giants continue to face is fitness. The last several years have seen GWS fall short of the mark and end their season shorter - with a number of players facing months on the sidelines.
Conditioning and preparation for 2020 will be key in hoping to take this year one step further than the last.
Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield, Toby Greene, Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio.
That's not just a list of their strongest figures, but a handful of players who failed to reach 20 games in 2019, and last year wasn't an outlier.
The Giants medical staff have been put to the test since their inauguration and continue to fall behind the rest of the league. The Giants may have had some silverware by now had they managed to keep a number of name on the track.
Prediction: 3rd
Expect a strong bounce back from the Giants in 2020. Coming off last year's grand final embarrassment and with the majority of their list now reaching their prime and peak fitness, you've got a formula for redemption and success.
They will be 'the hunted' in 2020. Their ability to fight off the league's surging sides will dictate their pedigree and perhaps warrant a flag at seasons end.
