Callan Ward has heard the 'AFL premiership favourites' buzz around Greater Western Sydney but the Giants' skipper learned a while ago not to put much store in such talk.
Ward has been with GWS since the club's humble beginnings at a temporary base at Blacktown.
He was there when the fledgling side got flogged up and down the country, winning just three games and collecting two wooden spoons in the club's first two seasons.
Back then it paid not to listen too much to what was being said about the AFL's newest team either.
"In our first few years people were saying that we shouldn't even be here and we were a waste of time," Ward said.
"We didn't listen to that stuff either.
"So why should we listen to stuff from the same people saying that we're the favourites?
"We hear it and take it in but we don't think about that or talk about it. We just have to improve on last year - that's all we can do.
"External expectations and pressure ... it's not made up but I do think people look into that stuff too much.
"We can only control what we can control."
The club's premiership favouritism appears fair enough given the stellar form of last season when it all seemed to fall into place for Leon Cameron's young team.
The Giants' pulsating preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs, an indication of bigger things to come, was dissected and dispatched by Cameron on the first day of pre-season training.
Star midfielder Brett Deledio has been added to the mix since then and, although currently slowed by a calf injury, figures to add even more potency to the line-up.
And Ward says there's still much more to come from a side loaded with early draft picks starting to hit their prime, which is probably why the rest of the competition is so worried.
"I think there's a heap of improvement in us ... I think we've got a really strong list," he said.
"We've got more guys who have played more games and we've got a good mix of experienced players.
"But everyone's level at the moment.
"We're expecting to play finals and we just have to go out there and improve."
Share
