The GWS Giants are already well known for offloading serious talents, whether it's Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Jeremy Cameron, etc.

But the real issue is the midfield merry-go-round that's happening ever so often, which is assisted by a fractured AFL Draft system that is affecting too many clubs.

The Giants have had a grand total of 19 top 10 draft picks since their inaugural season in 2011 - and 12 of those 19 are no longer at the club.

Adding to the concern is that after Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper left to join Richmond in the trade period - eight of those 12 that have left have all been midfielders.

Dom Tyson, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jonathan O'Rourke, Jarrod Pickett, Paul Ahern, Will Setterfield, Hopper and Taranto.

Compounding the issue is that there is a whole other wave of midfielders outside the top 10 that are also no longer at the club.

Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Taylor Adams, Jack Steele, Matthew Kennedy, Jye Caldwell, and finally, the outgoing Tanner Bruhn to cap off the list.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 25: GWS Giants head coach Leon Cameron poses with the number two draft pick TIm Taranto of the GWS Giants during the 2016 AFL Draft at Hordern Pavilion on November 25, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

In total, that is 16 midfielders, and a majority of them either went on to be successful at another club or are currently tasting some level of success at another.

Whilst this is not entirely the Giants' fault, it has come at a time when there was an enormous amount of midfielder talent on the Giants' list that was constantly played in a different position or not getting game time at all.

A few that immediately come to mind include Taranto, who is often utilised in the forward line (although can definitely have an impact there), Matt Kennedy often struggled for game time but is flourishing at Carlton, and Jye Caldwell who requested a trade to Essendon after finding it difficult to break into the team.

Current Giants list manager Jason McCartney recent stated that when assessing potential draft picks, there was an extra 'risk' for non-victorian clubs, considering the high amount of Victorian talent that is around compared to other states.

There is also increasing cases of players not wanting to play interstate, with a prime example being Archie Perkins.

Perkins was taken by Essendon with the ninth pick of the 2020 National Draft, but it was a struggle for any non-Victorian club to consider selecting him after Perkins had told interstate clubs to not select him.

This, as well as other recent examples such as Jason Horne-Francis' departure to Port Adelaide, shows that all AFL clubs have to proceed with caution when selecting interstate players in the draft and make sure they are selecting a player who is 100% committed to the cause.

Port Adelaide recruit Jason Horne-Francis. Image via Port Adelaide Twitter

It's no secret that the draft system needs to be addressed and possibly even overhauled, but that is only part of the problem for the Giants.

Taking a look at the home state of the departed midfielders that were a top 10 pick - seven are Victorian and one is from Western Australia.

As a club you want to take the best talent available to you in the draft, and sometimes clubs don't get their picks right.

But for the Giants, looking away from their recent Academy picks such as Tom Green and co, they missed out on some serious interstate talent that has remained loyal to their respective clubs.

These players include:

Now, although it was impossible to know the outcome of these selections back when they occurred, it does prove two things.

The first is that tougher conversations need to be had with interstate players to ensure they have the ability to commit to playing footy away from home. It is quite clear that not enough of this is done, not only with GWS but with many clubs across the AFL that lose top end talent after just one or two years.

The second is that the draft system needs to be adjusted so that there are strict guidelines in place in regard to players honouring the initial contracts they are handed on draft night.

If the draft process continues with no change we will continue to see an increase of players wanting to return home so soon after being drafted.

Looking at the above list, whilst no one is able to predict the future or whether or not Oliver Wines would become a more accomplished footballer than Jono O'Rourke, one that stands out the most is the Jack Steele selection.

Steele was drafted in 2014 and was gone by the end of 2016. He was drafted to a club that had quite possibly the best midfield in the competition.

In the three-year period Steele had at the Giants, he only managed 17 games, having to compete with a midfield of Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio, Dylan Shiel, Adam Treloar, Ryan Griffen, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield and Tom Scully.

Jack Steele during the AFL match between Hawthorn and St Kilda in Round 4, 2022 (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

Toby Greene and Devon Smith also had spells in the midfield within that timeframe.

Also drafted into the midfield in that period and provided with very little opportunity included Jarrod Pickett, Paul Ahern (although suffered two knee reconstructions over three seasons), Matthew Kennedy, and Will Setterfield.

The four players played a combined 19 games for the club, and were all top 10 draft picks, apart from Kennedy who was Pick 13.

Whilst the Giants managed to reach a grand final in 2019 - which I'm sure everyone associated would rather not talk about - they finished 16th this year and have a lot of work to do to get back to where they were just three years ago.

Looking at their midfield now, it is nowhere near the depth and strength it was six or seven years ago.

Their midfield currently includes: Josh Kelly, Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, Xavier O'Halloran and Finn Callaghan.

Players such as Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward and Lachie Ash also spent some time in the midfield or on a wing but spent plenty of time in 2022 playing in defence.

The Giants currently hold picks 1, 15, 18, 19, 31, 57 and 61 in next month's AFL Draft, and whilst it's expected they take promising key-forward Aaron Cadman with their first pick, the remaining picks are still up in the air.

If they were to strengthen their midfield, it is likely that players such as Henry Hustwaite, Coby Burgiel and Darcy Jones will be available around picks 15-20, but the issue with this is that both Hustwaite and Burgiel are Victorian and Jones is from WA.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 21: Aaron Cadman of the NAB AFL Academy kicks the ball during the match between the AFL Academy and Collingwood Magpies at Skybus Stadium on May 21, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

As aforementioned, the Giants need to be careful with drafting interstate players. The club must do all in its power to make sure that the players they want to draft really want to commit to the club for the foreseeable future.

Obviously, both the Giants and Sydney are both in the same boat when it comes to trying to hold on to interstate players, but when you compare Academy graduates, the Swans have done significantly better in blooding their youngsters.

The Giants notable graduates that have recently been playing an important part in the team include Tom Green, Harry Himmelberg, Harry Perryman, Isaac Cumming and rookie James Peatling.

The Swans' notable graduates that have been contributing to the team include Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey, Callum Mills, Braeden Campbell and Sam Wicks.

The players for Sydney played an integral part for the club this season and were crucial to the Swans' success in 2022.

Meanwhile, Green was elite early in the season but struggled to find form late on, Himmelberg was thrown around defence and forward but was one of the most important players at the club, Cumming showed signs but the rest had little impact on the club in 2022.

Whilst academies are massive factors for clubs such as the Giants and Swans, the recent results of both clubs show that it is not easy to get the best out of the academy and the reliance on the draft for poor performing clubs becomes more and more important.

The Giants are preparing for their first season without Leon Cameron since 2013 as they enter what seems to be a mini-rebuild after such a disappointing 2022 season.

Their current crop of midfielders may just be their weakest in their existence, which makes it the perfect opportunity to put a stop to the recycling midfielder program they have had in place since their inaugural season in 2011.

With a new coach in Adam Kingsley, as well as plenty of new faces around the club, the opportunity to turn things around for the Giants could not come at a better time.