AFL finals no longer an unknown for Giants

Greater Western Sydney will draw on their maiden AFL finals campaign in 2016 as they prepare to face Adelaide in week one of the 2017 finals.

Scully

Tom Scully says GWS's experience in last year's AFL finals will benefit them this season. (AAP)

Greater Western Sydney must clear many hurdles to reach the AFL grand final but a sense of the unknown is no longer on the list.

GWS had their first taste of finals in 2016, when the expansion club upset Sydney in week one then suffered a season-ending loss to Western Bulldogs at home.

With the exception of a few old hands, headlined by premiership players Steve Johnson, Heath Shaw and Shane Mumford, it was a new experience for the entire side.

It means that instead of listening to first-hand accounts, there are now personal memories for most of the Giants' youngsters to draw on before they depart for Adelaide.

Some are good, some are bad. All of them serve as a reminder of how more intense football becomes in September.

"Last year it was all very new to everyone," Tom Scully reflected on his first finals series, which came after 125 games.

"Most guys are now accustomed to it. The added media build-up, the fact there's more attention on every game, the pressure going up."

GWS coach Leon Cameron is yet to raise last year's six-point loss to the eventual premiers in an attempt to fire up his charges ahead of next Thursday's qualifying final against Adelaide.

The question of how much that defeat still burns is individual but it seemingly lurks at the back of most players' mind.

"It was just a huge disappointment," GWS small forward Toby Greene said.

"It's not something we talk about at the club, it's all about this year.

"But you don't want to feel like that again, so it's something maybe within yourself that drives you."

Giants key forward Jeremy Cameron expressed somewhat similar sentiments.

"We didn't play our best brand of footy that night but we were so close, one kick away from being in a granny," Cameron said.

"Personally I was down against the Bulldogs, so I don't want to do that again. There were other guys like that as well."

Versatile defender Adam Tomlinson noted everybody at the club would continue to draw on the vast finals experience of Shaw, Mumford and Johnson.

"It's a little bit comforting that you're going into a finals series knowing more about what to expect," Tomlinson said.

"But this is still when you rely on your teammates, on and off the field. If you're feeling a bit nervous there's always someone out there who is going to give you confidence.

"There's a lot of boys who have played a lot of finals."


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world