If a 10-year, $17 million contract wasn't enough to bring your attention to Finn Callaghan, then hopefully his demolition of the Collingwood Magpies on Sunday was.
It was a statement game for GWS as they once again embark on a quest to bring home the game's ultimate prize. But it was also a big, big statement from Callaghan who put everyone on notice about what he is capable of in 2025.ย
Callaghan was selected with Pick 3 in 2021 for what is shaping as a super draft that had budding superstars Jason Horne-Francis and Sam Darcy selected before him, father-son phenomenon Nick Daicos selected fourth overall and the athletic marvel Mac Andrew at five.
Understandably, with those names surrounding the Moorabbin local talent, the stakes were high for the Giants to nail this pick - and they have. Whether you saw it coming or not, this breakout game was inevitable and a warning to the rest of the league of what's to come.
Since being drafted in 2021, Callaghan's trajectory has steadily been inclining statistically. Much of this could've been highlighted sooner had he been provided more exposure to the contest in his young, 51-game career.
Blessed with talent for much of his tenure at the Giants, Callaghan has now earned his position amongst the centre bounce group alongside contested bull Tom Green. The Sandringham product possesses an abundance of silky skills that once in theory likened him to teammate Josh Kelly and superstar Marcus Bontempelli, and were on full display against the Pies.
His debut season saw him only register five games and it wasn't until 2023 that he was able to cement his spot in the Giants' best 23. Predominantly lining up on the wing, he still managed to record 21 touches a game and 360m gained per game. This went largely under the radar as the aforementioned draftees have taken the game by the horns in their own rights thus far.
The former Talent League player utilised his everlasting endurance and freakish athleticism to provide constant support for his inside group. Importantly, he was doing all this for a side that has year in and year out challenged for a premiership, and he never looked out of place. He ended the year attending 21% of the Giants' centre bounces, a number far too shallow for a player of his calibre.
In 2024, many predicted that this could be the year the graceful left-footer bangs on the door of the upper echelon of midfield talent. The midfield exodus of years past left positions up for grabs, and while Callaghan again improved on his marks from 2023 - recording 23 disposals a game - it didn't come with the centre bounce attendance numbers we were expecting.
Instead, the New South Wales side returned to the loyal servants of the club like Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio and brought a blend of speed and tenacity through the likes of Toby Bedford and James Peatling. Callaghan saw an uptick in his centre bounce attendance nonetheless, ending the year attending 43% of them. With it grew his tackle count, which elevated from 2.0 a game to 3.6 and so too his contested possession count, which increased from 4.8 to 7.9. Aside from all the numbers being presented, his biggest asset is how well he pairs with another Giant - Tom Green.
Attending 88% of the centre bounces in the Giants' trouncing of Collingwood, Callaghan had his say on absolutely everything. Sceptics will suggest that with Green returning sooner rather than later that this performance may be a flash in the pan, and a return to the old guard will be ordered. This could be far from the truth. This isn't an outlandish statement and the signs are clear - the partnership of Callaghan and Green could be the modern-day reincarnation of Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore. Their skill sets are so clearly defined and coalesce in such a manner that rather than impeding one another, they uplift each other's strengths.
Need a quick handball out of stoppage? Green's got it. Need someone to lace out Jesse Hogan off a 30-metre lead from that handball? Callaghan's got it.
Callaghan's performance against Collingwood is closer to the mean rather than the outlier and will be shown this season. And there's still room for growth.
To date, the 189cm midfielder has kicked a ghastly nine goals in his career. Two of which came on Sunday. For someone with his level of penetration in kicking, poise on the ball and frame, that is unacceptable - regardless of the role he's had to play so far. Because of this, centre of forward is where we expect to see the most growth out of the young Giant. That of which will continue to spur the comparisons to superstars of our competition.
A small sample size, but the Giants' No.17 was involved in 41% of the Giants' scores on the weekend, almost doubling his 22% average for 2023. Given his physical profile and on-ball role, it is reasonable to predict that this increased involvement in scoring and attack will remain closer to the norm for him here on out - and with this some more opportunities in front of the big sticks.
So how does any of this justify the premise of this article - that a breakout was imminent?
Well, statistically, what we are seeing is a player that has always been ready to take on a bigger role but hasn't been afforded the opportunity until now. To the eye, the smooth-moving midfielder's composure and decision-making are evident on any part of the ground. As previously mentioned, his physical profile and attributes make him the prototypical midfielder.
Blending all of this creates a perfect storm for the Giants' young gun to potentially take the throne as GWS' most important player.
