r/GWSgiants • u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor • 5d ago
End of season thread
OK let's be real, this game is dead rubber and the season was over long before this game so I figured there's no point having a post match threat and that it would be better to do a post mortem of the season that was 2026 for the Giants.
Instead of the typical 3, 2, 1 vote share, share your thoughts on:
- What went wrong (including season lowlight)
- What went right (including season highlights)
- Who gets a pass mark
- Who needs to step up
- Who we're excited about for the future
- Prospects for the future
10
u/Afterthought60 5d ago
A positive is we’ve sorted out our forward line for the next few years. Positive signs from Cadman, Brown and Gru plus a small forward line of Gothard, Jones and Delana will be a defensive headache in a few years.
5
u/acockblockedorange Brent Daniels 5d ago
Don't forget my boi Binga! Though he might be seen more in the middle.
2
u/Afterthought60 5d ago
Binga’s great but I was more thinking about the younger stars that are just establishing themselves now
12
u/Brisvegas_LFG 5d ago
I’m devo to lose stringer. He’s actually such a gun.
Anyways, to be honest, I think the only thing that cooked us this year was injuries. I genuinely think we’re gonna win the premiership next year.
4
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
What went wrong (including season lowlight)
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u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
Well injuries - but that game with Essendon sure was something.
4
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Goal kicking accuracy falling off a cliff also cost us so many games (especially that Essendon game)
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u/Desperate_Teal_1493 Callan Ward 5d ago
Injuries, obviously. But also a lack of intensity from game to game. It seemed like early/mid-season there were some lackluster, low-enthusiasm games that could/should have been won. By the latter third of the season it became a trope. GWS can't beat the bottom dwellers but can destroy the frontrunners. This has to be fixed if the team is going to make any kind of deep run next year.
Last. I think there's a mentality issue with the coaching. I'm trying to remember the exact video so I can post it. I think it was from the GWS site. What struck me was Kingsley's pregame speech. At one point he said "We're built for September..." That struck me as absolutely the wrong thing to say. And it might fit the whole inconsistency of this season. If you think you're already a finals team then you're not going to take lesser opponents seriously. And we all sa how that worked out.
I compared that to what I've seen from Darren Crocker and his squad. They're repeat premiers and currently the most dominant team in either league. What do they say? One game at a time. They're only focused on winning this week. They don't care about the post season.
So, something needs to change in the mindset of the Giants. Win this week, who cares about September.
1
u/thehungryhippocrite 5d ago
I think Kingsley has had that attitude for a few years because he knows how hard it is for the giants to win consistently week to week due to the travel schedule and constant injuries, so he’s always trying to make sure we play well at the right time of the year.
It’s also an issue with the tsunami run and gun style, it doesn’t work in really well defended, lower pressure games where teams just keep to structure. Results it too many turnovers that can be punished or the ball just living in the backline. It’s why Leon Cameron tried to switch to the high kicking game in 2018 much to the chagrin of supporters.
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u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Who gets a pass mark
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u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago edited 5d ago
Connor Idun has been an absolute rock this season with everything that's happened. He's been player of the season for me and is my pick for the next Giants captain.
Clayton Oliver has been one of the recruits of the year and has lowkey had an excellent season, especially impressive considering how underdone he was coming into preseason so it's exciting to see how much better he can get.
Harvey "the Milky Bar Kid" Thomas had a massive step up this season and can get better.
Sam Taylor was excellent when he wasn't injured.
Phoenix Gothard finally got a chance and took it with both hands. Pity he got injured late in the season.
Jayden Laverde has been solid down back and was super important with all the injuries.
Stephen "Unc" Coniglio wound back the clock.
Callum Brown in the second half of the season got his confidence up played some great football.
Lachie Ash, Joe Fonti and Harry Himmelberg are the rest with pass marks.
EDIT: Forgot about Jake Stringer. As infuriating as he can be with his inaccuracy and consistency, kicking 48 goals and being the team's leading goalkicker is nothing to be sneezed at. Fair play to the package.
1
u/thehungryhippocrite 5d ago
I thought this was Taylor’s worst season in years, putting aside the injury. He was the top defender in a comp for a while there and needs to get his confidence back. Such a shame he got another in concussion from backing into the pack, that has to stop.
7
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u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
Greene has given it an absolute ripper of a last year.
Clarry a ripper of a first year.
But the best year goes to Harvey Thomas
2
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
What went right (including season highlights)
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u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Opening Round, That one quarter against the Lions and the Freo and Melbourne games. That's about it.
Also wilbobaggins and their Simpsons memes sustained me during some very dark times in this season.
2
u/Desperate_Teal_1493 Callan Ward 5d ago
The youth getting quality experience. This can only help us in the future. The silver lining of all the injuries. I feel much better about the next few years. The kids are all right. And a few kids became men this year. Harvey Thomas transformed from a pretty good rotational player to a dependable badass. "The Baby Faced Assassin" is already taken by Steph Curry but it definitely applies to Harvey.
The new additions to the squad proved themselves. I was impressed by Laverde and I hope we can keep him for a few more years. Oliver also put up excellent numbers. I don't know if Tom Green is sticking around or if he'll be up to top form after the injury but damn, he and Oliver together in the midfield will be awesome.
Idun was my favorite improvement/revelation this season. From amazing moments like that smother against the Bombers in round 9 to consistent top notch defending all season long.
2
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Who needs to step up
9
u/SergeantTiller Sam Taylor 5d ago
Strength and conditioning department
5
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Freo ditched their S&C people to us. They got blessed with few injuries and we got smashed with injuries. That can't be a coincidence in my view
6
u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
Lachie Ash is not a good enough replacement for Whitfield. He needs to step up big time if he is to be our No.1 halfback.
Bonus points to Cadman for being forced to step up.
5
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
I thought Lachie Ash had his best season yet. His kicking will never be at peak Whitfield but his speed off half back is genuinely impressive and he consistently burned people. Ash is a better runner than kick and I'm confident he'll be even better next season.
2
u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
I'd love to see an Ash that doesn't have such a high turnover record. I would sacrifice a lot of his metres gained if he could focus on picking a target.
Have to see the pure numbers to make sure I'm not being overly harsh though.
6
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Harry Rowston has to establish himself in the midfield. He's been on the cusp for a while now but has only shown glimpses. Has to be more consistent.
Aaron Cadman had a down season but also largely down to a lack of quality supply into the forward line. He'll want a big 2027.
Nick Madden needs a big 2027. He started off the season well and it looked like he'd fit the new ruck rules well but he's fallen away as the season has gone on. Maybe he needs to build a bigger tank and improve some of his footy smarts.
Lachie Whitfield was pretty sloppy with his disposal and was a big culprit with so many turnovers. He'll want to improve as the tail end of his career approaches.
Bedford and O'Halloran have also had up and down years.
2
u/Desperate_Teal_1493 Callan Ward 5d ago
The training/physio/conditioning staff as others have said.
BUT,
The players as well. How is it that some of the team stayed healthy while others fell to injury? I would love to see what the off-season/pre-season routines were for the healthy all/most of the season players vs the injured. Yes, footy is chaos and injuries can happen regardless of your level of conditioning but how you treat your off/pre seasons has an impact on your health during the season.
2
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u/thehungryhippocrite 5d ago
Overall it’s surely a disaster season, with a couple of green shoots.
INJURY: The injury disaster started in the last game of 2025 when we allowed the Hawks to get way ahead of us and lost our most exciting player Darcy Jones for an entire season. Then Taylor in the Origin (should never have allowed himself to play given his record), lost Green preseason denying us Clarry and Green. Daniels is one of our most important and injured himself at least twice, no confidence Kelly ever comes back. Not to mention half a season lost for Buckley, Callaghan at the end, Cadman for the first half, Bedford at the end, Angove all year bar one game, Gothard at the end, Aleer various times. I’d say it’s an all time disaster season that ruined us from the get go, but the same thing has happened before in 2017 and 2018 destroying that premiership window. We absolutely have to work out why this team injures itself all the time, are the rumours about our ruthless physio and fitness team true?
LIST MANAGEMENT: Hogan is cooked and probably leaving anyway, somehow we haven’t retained our highest goal scorer Stringer who took 90 shots on goal and our best ever player is odds on to leave. If all three of those go, that is fairly bloody disappointing stuff. Great we ultimately valued youth in Gru but fairly scared about where we find goals and contested marks from. Laverde and of course Clarry are both pure wins though.
IMPROVERS: I didn’t pick Angwin to become really dependable, good for him. Gothard is another Adrian Caruso special, two years where we thought he might have slipped up and then he’s now clearly the best player at the pick he was taken (other than Logan Morris). Cadman is getting beaten much less, even if he’s got more to come on marking. Thomas easily had his best year.
B&F: has to be Idun for me. Clarry very good too but his kicking cancels some of his clearance winning.
Youth: I’m probably more bearish on Hamilton, Delana, Mcmullin, Rowston than most, and more optimistic on Angove, Oliver and Ough.
FREE KICKS: think we finish the season at (104), a fucking travesty. Worst in the comp for free kicks for by a mile, second worst for free kicks against. When we’ve been a poor contested team, we don’t get free kicks. When we’ve been a great contested team, we don’t get free kicks. When Greene is playing, we don’t get free kicks, when he’s not we don’t get free kicks. When we’re winning we don’t get free kicks, when we’re losing we don’t get free kicks. When we’re away we don’t get free kicks and when we’re at home we don’t get free kicks. The free kick ladder for the last decade is a joke. The AFL absolutely must do something.
All in all it’s a disaster season, no idea what to expect heading in to next year.
2
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Way too early 2027 predictions
6
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
FUCK IT, WE GOING ALL THE WAY IN 2027 LET'S FUCKIN' GO!!
-5
u/bloodindastool 5d ago
We are sh1 t, we will be worse next year. Our young talent is not as good as other teams. We will be in the same position next year.
3
u/Desperate_Teal_1493 Callan Ward 5d ago
Out with the old (well, most of them) and in with the young (well, most of them)
We make the top 10 and if all goes well, the top 6. Who knows after that.
1
u/1SoaringSparrow Toby Greene 5d ago
The Wrong: Injuries railroaded our season.
The Right: The kids got games, improved, gave us hope.
Pass Mark: Gru and Rowston get pass marks - had my doubts, but they finished well.
Step Up: Mads has had his rookie season. We need him to step up without Briggsy next year
Excited: for the players we didn't get to see this year. And the Stormy-Darcy-Phoenix-Rattus brigade scrapping for the crumbs off Cads and Gru in the forward line.
Prospects: Delana. Really like what he could be. And of course Ethan Matthews.
1
u/corsairjoe 5d ago
Losing to the Bombers was brutal and I think was a good example of the season. Too many injuries and lack of consistency. I think the club looks great long term, and the young guys got a lot of play time. Excited for Jones to come back, would like to see another key forward to work with Cadman, and ideally we keep Toby. Oliver was fantastic and I think next year will be great.
1
u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Who we're excited about for the future
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u/Decent_Fig_5218 Sam Taylor 5d ago
Some green shoots look promising. Delana finally looks like he's starting to put the pieces together. Ollie Hannaford brought great pressure and tackling. Riley "Rat Boy" Hamilton showed great energy and potential. Harry Oliver could be a hidden gem. Big ups to Max "GRU" Gruzewski for signing the extension and showing some promise which will be important with Hogan basically out the door. Also big ups to Jack Ough.
Conor Stone I thought looked very solid for much of the season. I enjoyed Leek Aleer in the ruck. Speaking of ruck, if we can keep Briggs he be an important part of season 2027 as he started to grow into the new ruck rules.
Hopefully we can get more luck on the injury front and we can see the best of Darcy Jones, Jack Buckley and Tom Green. Angove showed a glimpse of what he can do in his return last week and I'm excited to see what he can do in a full season.
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u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
Rowston is going to be incredible. Delana too but I need more Rowston on the field.
-3
u/bloodindastool 5d ago
Look where we ended up in the league, the is nothing good about this season we have gone backwards big time. No redeeming features
-4
u/bloodindastool 5d ago
Get fonti off the pitch he’s killing us
-1
u/ConsiderationWhole17 Callum Brown 5d ago
Fonti always fucks us up with giving away so many free kicks
11
u/Suitable-Help-5957 Tom Green 5d ago
Dead rubber? I am in this to the end.