AFL legend Kevin Sheedy reckons the "sooks and whingers" complaining about Greater Western Sydney's meteoric rise need to get a life.
The Giants have benefited from a vast array of concessions during their brief existence, including access to some of the game's best young players through high draft picks.
But Sheedy, who served as the Giants' inaugural coach in 2012 and 2013, says it's great for the game that GWS have made it into a preliminary final in such a short period of time.
"People can walk around with negatives all of their lives ... tell them to get a life," he said on Monday.
"I had a person tell me the other day, 'look, it's very unfair for Melbourne clubs with the Giants making it'.
"I said 'go back to Hawthorn 20 years ago when they nearly merged with Melbourne'. They didn't sit there and sulk. They got out and worked their butts off and have (won) what, three premierships, nearly four, and been in grand final after grand final.
"That's what whingers and sooks should go and look at. The reconstruction of Hawthorn has been one of the best deals ever done and built in the AFL."
WIth GWS preparing to face the Western Bulldogs in a preliminary final at Spotless Stadium, Sheedy believes it would be a great story for the Dogs to win their first flag in 60 years.
But the Essendon legend will be decked out in his Giants scarf when he watches Saturday's game and says there's nothing stopping rival teams from climbing back to the AFL summit.
"Everybody forgets the Giants have cleared over 20 players back to all the other clubs, with Collingwood leading the way and Carlton," he said.
"If you want to make a success of your club, get your act together and start planning better than what they previously have done, and that's including the Richmonds and all the other clubs that feel 'oh, it's been a hard period'.
"Well, it hasn't been hard for Hawthorn and Geelong."
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