Giants v Sydney AFL 5/2/11

[UrLordUnbeliever]

Ok - So today the Greater Western Giants are taking on the Sydney AFL team, and at half-time the Giants lead by one point!

Pic here of the boys leaving the ground at half-time
http://yfrog.com/h87t2xj

Anyone seeing this game care to contribute their thoughts on any particular players, playing styles, how their performance bodes for the 2011 NAB Cup, or how the guys looked in their unique jumpers?

[desie]

Giants got up by 9 points, 8.7 to 7.4

[rioli is a hack]

It was 42.9 degrees in the shade with humidity at Macquarie Fields today. I thought they should have cancelled, it was almost suicidal to play in those conditions.

I couldn't subject my family to attend in those conditions so I'm not sure who played well etc. etc.

Whatever happened I'm sure the conditions ensured it had no bearing on what we can expect from players in either team. :thumbsd:

[WOFTAMWarrior]

Ok - So today the Greater Western Giants are taking on the Sydney AFL team, and at half-time the Giants lead by one point!

Pic here of the boys leaving the ground at half-time
http://yfrog.com/h87t2xj

Anyone seeing this game care to contribute their thoughts on any particular players, playing styles, how their performance bodes for the 2011 NAB Cup, or how the guys looked in their unique jumpers?

Unfortunately didnt get to the game due to a family emergency but I much prefer the other GWS jumper.

[Giants FC]

First impression, second impression, last impression and everything in between was that it was bloody hot out there.
Anyway, for what it's worth, here's my match report:

Despite 43 degree heat, and the lure of an aquatic centre across the road, a crowd of about 1,000 was on hand at Monarch Oval for GWS Giants' first pre-season hit-out, a trial against a rep side from the local Sydney comp.
In such blistering conditions for a trial game, they bent the rules slightly, with a 3-minute time-out in the middle of each quarter, with the quarter time breaks extended and with giant fans around the benches. But even so it was extremely warm for the spectators, and would have been even more so for the players.
The other thing that was annoying for players and spectators alike is that the Giants were wearing their mainly orange jumpers with dark shorts and orange socks - and so were the umpires. That was amateur hour, and even with the umpires emerging after half time with green netball-style bibs over their orange shirts it was still confusing.
Curtly Hampton scored an early goal for the Giants, but if the AFL newcomers were expecting an easy walk in the park then someone forgot to give the Sydney AFL boys a copy of the script. They may not have had the facilities of the professionals, may have only recently started their club pre-seasons and only done a couple of sessions together; but the Sydney AFL boys had come to play and were keen to impress.
On the massive Monarch surface, kicking long to a lead requires pinpoint accuracy or the ball will spill a long way. And Sydney AFL defender Jack Dimery impressed by courageously putting his body on the line to spoil a GWS attacking raid, and running the ball down the field the local league team found a leading Jamie Vlatko for a mark and goal to level the scores.
The Sydney AFL side soon took the lead, and maintained it for the majority of the first half. Leading by a point at quarter time, the locals took the fight up to the Giants and matched it with their more fancied rivals. Jeremy Cameron gave the Giants the lead shortly before half time, and the Giants led by a point at the long break.
The GWS membership and merchandise tent was doing a brisk trade, but the marquee beside it distributing orange snow cones was the truly popular stand in such stifling heat; while the local Campbelltown club's air-conditioned canteen under the grandstand was also a popular destination during the break where plenty of drinks were purchased. While the majority of the crowd were supporting the Giants, there was plenty of representation from local clubs who were there to cheer on their club's rep stars.
The Giants' superior fitness began to become a greater influence in the third term, as the heat began to take its toll on the Sydney AFL players. The heat prevented many players from displaying their best running skills, but GWS's Curtly Hampton turned on a moment of brilliance to take the ball on the half-back line and take a run with three bounces before a handball, then running 20 metres forward to take the ball back and deliver it downfield. Midfielders Josh Bruce and Gerard Ugle began to be more influential, while Isaiah Stevens presented himself as a target up forward for the Giants.
The Giants led by 8 points at three-quarter time, and Stevens' third goal early in the last term effectively sealed the game. Sydney AFL's Ted Strudwick threw the locals a lifeline with a long-range goal as the final quarter's time-out was called, but the Giants had done enough to record the win.
Unfortunately marquee recruit Israel Folau didn't play, his troublesome hamstring injury failing to heal in time. Much has been made of the new skill set the former NRL star will need to develop to be successful in his new game. The technical skills, the kicking, the marking, the handballs, can be learned at training; but the footy smarts, anticipating the bounce of the ball, reading the play and understanding the flow of the game, can only really be learned in a game situation. A hit-out like this would have been valuable for Folau.
Overall, despite the conditions, it was a good hit-out for the Giants. The determined locals made them earn every possession, while Giants' mentor Kevin Sheedy will have a better idea of what he has to work with and what areas need to be worked on. The Giants have just two weeks to go till they hit the spotlight in their three-cornered contest against the Suns and Swans, as their AFL debut season in 2012 draws ever closer.

[UrLordUnbeliever]

http://www.gwsgiants.com.au/giants-win-at-campbelltown.html

This is a review of the came from the Giant's own page, with goalkickers, and a few words from Sheedy as well.

Anyway here's the final scores and the Giants' goalkickers..
GWS GIANTS 8.7.55
Sydney AFL 7.4.46

Bests for GIANTS
Gerald Ugle, Dylan Shiel, Steve Clifton, Isiah Stevens

Goal Kickers:
Isiah Stevens 3
Curtly Hampton 1
Anthony Miles 1
Jonathan Giles 1
Jeremy Cameron 1
Steve Clifton 1

[Rob]

How close is yesterday's team to the one that will show up for the NAB Cup? Is it going to be topped up?

[theyellowsash]

ominous sign for you guys about which jumper they are likely to choose. i like the one with the white but that one is just plain and boring, and stupid when you consider the similarity to the suns jumper.

[bloodsbigot]

I actually really prefer the all-orange strip and the white G design just appears tacky to me.

[UrLordUnbeliever]

As far as team selection goes, I imagine they'll try out all the players who are fit enough in their couple of practice games before the NAB cup. I'm not 100% sure exactly how many players are on their list TBH.
This coming weekend the Greater Western Giants are playing a practice game against the ACT AFL reps side. I'd imagine they'd keep the best players from Sunday's game and then see how many guys who missed out against Sydney they can squeeze in against the ACT team.. Folau missed the Sydney game through injury, I expect him to appear in time for the NAB Cup, however..

And as for the jumper, regardless of your preferences, I follow the Giants' facebook page and whoever their representative is has said that their 2011 playing strip will be revealed at the NAB Cup event, and what they are wearing now is their training jumper..

[The Convert]

Good on them for a win given they are very young. Biggest concern is that thye only beat a Sydney side by 9 points. Most Sydney players would still be tasting the Christmas pudding particularly in that heat.

Who would be the Sydney players getting a run for GWS in NAB Cup?

[Giants FC]

The Giants were planning to nominate two Sydney AFL players to trial with them - I'm not sure when they're making the announcement, but they haven't yet.
From what I saw in the heat on Saturday, they've got to get Jack Dimery. I thought he was easily Sydney AFL's best - he's only 18, but he's played in an open-age senior premiership and looks an impressive prospect.
The other spot's harder to pick, but maybe one of the former Scholarship players could benefit from getting another crack at making it at AFL level.

[The Convert]

The Giants were planning to nominate two Sydney AFL players to trial with them - I'm not sure when they're making the announcement, but they haven't yet.
From what I saw in the heat on Saturday, they've got to get Jack Dimery. I thought he was easily Sydney AFL's best - he's only 18, but he's played in an open-age senior premiership and looks an impressive prospect.
The other spot's harder to pick, but maybe one of the former Scholarship players could benefit from getting another crack at making it at AFL level.
No doubt JD can play however they had him last year in TAC Cup and passed so ....

[swaneagle24]

The Giants were planning to nominate two Sydney AFL players to trial with them - I'm not sure when they're making the announcement, but they haven't yet.
From what I saw in the heat on Saturday, they've got to get Jack Dimery. I thought he was easily Sydney AFL's best - he's only 18, but he's played in an open-age senior premiership and looks an impressive prospect.
The other spot's harder to pick, but maybe one of the former Scholarship players could benefit from getting another crack at making it at AFL level.
JD was also on a scholarship with Geelong at one point.

[Rob]

Good on them for a win given they are very young. Biggest concern is that thye only beat a Sydney side by 9 points.

That's the worry. I don't think anyone expects them to win, but it wouldn't be a good look to see 15 goal thumpings in half a game of footy. It wouldn't mean much for 2012, but you can imagine the media jumping all over it as some sort of sign.

[dlanod]

They may but it's not particularly realistic if they do. Given we're recruiting up to 16 mature players over the next two years, as well as all these lads having an extra year, as well as picking the eyes out of the next draft for some real quality, next year's team will look nothing like the team that runs out next weekend.

[UrLordUnbeliever]

They may but it's not particularly realistic if they do. Given we're recruiting up to 16 mature players over the next two years, as well as all these lads having an extra year, as well as picking the eyes out of the next draft for some real quality, next year's team will look nothing like the team that runs out next weekend.

You have some good points.
Essentially there's not a whole heap that can be taken out of the win over the Sydney AFL side, especially considering the heat and the berevity of the game. The ACT AFL side they play this weekend will be more of a challenge. And the week after that they're playing the Swans and Gold Coast teams, who I am doubting the GW Giants will be competitive against.
But their young players will hopefully develop into pretty decent footballers during this year in the NEAFL, but you'd expect that maybe 2 players currently on their list will be in their best 10 players at the start of the 2012 season, given the quality of players they will recruit (or have already recruited) from the other AFL clubs, and the draft picks they will get.

[Gee Dubya]

I'm happy with the win. The Sydney AFL and the ACT players this week are an indication of the quality of opponents they'll be lining up against next year in the NEAFL, good experience to give the side some early insight into what the standard is going to be like. The games against the Swans and GC will give them a watermark of where they need to be in 12 months time. Nice little markers for development. All good.