News Giants in the Media

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It even got an article on the infamously anti afl site news.com.au. For mine, as long as he doesn't get suspended, if it makes people in Sydney more familiar with Toby, then it's not a bad thing. The old 'any publicity is good'.
 

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A media article in one of the true stars of our club - Jacob Gaynor. His clever and witty input has been one of the highlights of following our team!

Across all of the AFL, you could argue that few accounts are doing it better than the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Currently the youngest club in the AFL, the Giants have more than made up for lost ground online, becoming something of the enfant terrible of the league, and much of that recent reputation falls to one man, content manager Jacob Gaynor.

 
Sydney Morning Herald article - Sydney’s AFL teams are both 3-0. Now they’re disappearing for a month.

Main points of article, highlighted below.


The prospect of an all-Sydney grand final or, at the very least, a first non-Victorian premiership winner in six years, is becoming increasingly real.

For the new AFL administration under Andrew Dillon, which has recognised the need to redouble its efforts in the NSW frontier market after rugby league’s Peter V’landys-led renaissance, this is all a dream come true.

And yet, Sydney footy fans are about to be starved.

Just as the season was starting to build up a sense of rhythm, it will be ripped away as the Swans and Giants hit the road for a few weeks.

This weekend, the Giants have the bye and the Swans are at the MCG facing Richmond. Next weekend, it’s Gather Round, which means everyone is in Adelaide. Then the Swans have the bye, while the Giants host St Kilda in their other hometown, Canberra.

In fact, Adam Kingsley’s men won’t play at their actual home ground, the rebadged Engie Stadium in Olympic Park, until round 10 – by which point the feel for the season, which we are blindly grasping for at the moment, will be manifest. It’s a long time between clips of the membership ticket. All up, Monday begins a stretch of 53 days in Sydney during which there will be only two games of AFL footy played.

That’s partly out of anyone’s control – Engie Stadium has, of course, become the “showground for livestock” Mason Cox famously described it as, due to the Easter Show – but not wholly. Surely, there was another way to follow up the feast of Opening Round than with a famine that risks losing the momentum that has been carefully built.

Footy fans in Sydney can at least take solace that, as things stand, it appears the back end of the year will be busy enough to make up for it.
 
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Just caught up with last night's Footy Classified.

The opening contained a summary of the 'drug saga' with various footage.

Some of the vision contained a team training.

Sure, it was blurred, but the team they used was rather obvious.

I'll give you 1 guess which team they decided to use despite no evidence being presented (to my knowledge) that they are implicated.
 
Just caught up with last night's Footy Classified.

The opening contained a summary of the 'drug saga' with various footage.

Some of the vision contained a team training.

Sure, it was blurred, but the team they used was rather obvious.

I'll give you 1 guess which team they decided to use despite no evidence being presented (to my knowledge) that they are implicated.
Haven’t seen it but Carlton use orange training tops…
 
The opening contained a summary of the 'drug saga' with various footage.

Some of the vision contained a team training.

Sure, it was blurred, but the team they used was rather obvious.

I'll give you 1 guess which team they decided to use despite no evidence being presented (to my knowledge) that they are implicated.
Yeah, I've noticed that a lot of "action photos" with players other than from Giants have GWS players as an opponent if they show more than a single player. For example, a photo showcasing Jacob Weitering taking a towering mark will be against a Giant, Sam Walsh looking for a handpass in a tackle will have a GWS player as the tackler. Always figured it's because the orange jerseys (and they're always orange) stand out against other strips.

Didn't see what you're referring to, though.

EDIT: Just saw Channel 7 news. They showed multiple clubs in their story footage, probably 6 or 7 different ones, and blurred every one of them. I didn't think any of them were GWS. There was one team looking red/orange tops, but it was Melbourne (blue shorts, and Clarry Oliver was clearly one of the players), and another reddish-looking top I reckon was Sydney.
 
GWS star Kieren Briggs says AFL ‘slowly’ gaining ground in western Sydney

GWS only has two men’s players from western Sydney, but a local star says he’s starting to see the Giants’ popularity grow.

Ed Bourke

29 March 2024

GWS star Kieren Briggs says he’s noticed a significant “shift in awareness” of the AFL club in its western Sydney heartland, even if progress remains slow.

The Giants ruckman is one of only two players on the AFL list who hails from Sydney’s west despite heavy investment in the club’s junior academy.

GWS has 10 academy graduates on its list and more than a dozen others have been drafted to other clubs, but a far greater proportion of the talent has come from its Canberra and Riverina recruitment zones.

But Briggs, 24, said he was buoyed by seeing the uptake of Aussie rules in western Sydney schools and thought the club’s success over the last 12 months was helping generate more interest around their visits.

He and fellow Pennant Hills product James Peatling ran a clinic in nearby Baulkham Hills on Wednesday night as Giants players spread across 11 junior clubs in the region.

“It’s cool to be doing these community events back where I grew up,” Briggs said.

“Having these clinics and getting into the community is the greatest way to create awareness about AFL and build a bit of excitement … the smiles we put on the kids’ faces, they have so much fun doing the drills, and you can actually see them improving each time.

“Going back to my first and second year, you’d only have a handful of kids there who actually knew who the Giants were – now you get asked to sign guernseys and hats and things like that because they actually enjoy AFL and follow the Giants.

“There’s definitely been a shift in awareness and having genuine supporters as well.”

Briggs was a junior athletics star who stumbled upon Aussie rules when a sleepover at a friend’s house ended with him being coerced into filling in for the Pennant Hills under 12s team the next day.

He kept playing and was asked to join the GWS academy less than two years later.

Briggs said it was far more difficult to win a coveted academy spot now, which boded well for the code’s future in western Sydney.

“You can see just the raw numbers you get to academy tryouts now and even just the junior club sizes, numbers are definitely bigger at the moment,” he said.

“The academy when I was there – if you wanted to be in it, you could almost just ask, but there’s so much talent around in western Sydney and maybe they haven’t been able to tap into it in the past because of league, but it’s slowly creeping onto kids’ radars and they’re really enjoying playing it as well as watching it.

“Us playing good footy is helping as well – we’re always going to be striving to make AFL bigger in western Sydney.”

Briggs said the Giants’ star-studded midfield was enjoying the freedom of playing in a well-rounded side that was not relying on them too heavily in an unbeaten start to the season.

“I think we’ve been doing pretty well, we got a bit of a hurry-up after our Swans praccy game (loss),” he said.

“We know when we’re on, we can take it to any midfield, and it’s good to be able to go to stoppages and know we can score but that it’s not our only source as well.

“We have confidence from buying into each part of our game – if one part of our game is not working, we don’t have to rely on it, we can find other avenues to score.

“We’re a tight-knit group at the moment, we hang out inside and outside of footy and that shows in the way we’re playing.”
 
That's interesting because other articles have said about the declining numbers playing in WS since covid, so interesting comment around it being harder to get into the academy now. I've said many times before, the giants academy should be proactively head hunting talented young r.l, basketball, soccer players around the 14 to 15 year age. Not to 'steal' them from those sports, because you could imagine the negative press, our friends in the daily telegraph would love to write an article on that. But to offer another option in case they don't make it to the top in the other sports and then they can gradually coerce them over the years to prioritise footy.

The academy should be getting into local schools, churches etc, gathering places of local migrant communities and presenting a PowerPoint presentation to parents on chances of making it to the top, ability to stay local and salary compared to soccer, basketball and r.l.

The AFL is the most appealing on all those metrics. An A league player only makes a bit over 100k and there are more participants and less teams with less players on lists, that information needs to get out there.

On another note, is there one other player in the team that would be as big of a loss as Briggs? I honestly think he is the most important player in the team, other than maybe Hogan.
 

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On another note, is there one other player in the team that would be as big of a loss as Briggs? I honestly think he is the most important player in the team, other than maybe Hogan.
Probably Green & Taylor, the way they are playing would be on par for pure impact. But since we have diddly squat sitting in reserve behind Kieran, whereas we at least have some reserve for those two, the proportional impact would be greatest for Briggsy, I agree.
 
That's interesting because other articles have said about the declining numbers playing in WS since covid, so interesting comment around it being harder to get into the academy now. I've said many times before, the giants academy should be proactively head hunting talented young r.l, basketball, soccer players around the 14 to 15 year age. Not to 'steal' them from those sports, because you could imagine the negative press, our friends in the daily telegraph would love to write an article on that. But to offer another option in case they don't make it to the top in the other sports and then they can gradually coerce them over the years to prioritise footy.

The academy should be getting into local schools, churches etc, gathering places of local migrant communities and presenting a PowerPoint presentation to parents on chances of making it to the top, ability to stay local and salary compared to soccer, basketball and r.l.

The AFL is the most appealing on all those metrics. An A league player only makes a bit over 100k and there are more participants and less teams with less players on lists, that information needs to get out there.

On another note, is there one other player in the team that would be as big of a loss as Briggs? I honestly think he is the most important player in the team, other than maybe Hogan.
I think it's a story about general awareness. My wife wore her Giants shirt out somewhere and a bloke approached her enthusiastically and said that he really likes "The GSW". :laughing:
Participation is a problem. In my area my son's club merged with another team mid Covid lockdown. They were now based a long way from the original location - and almost all the team stopped playing. Covid essentially killed a small, but functioning club and lost a stack of active players, including a strong women's squad. I'm sure that story can be repeated in various clubs.

Regarding head-hunting local talent. You're preaching to the choir here.
The AFL went reasonably hard at it before the team played a game. I know of a few people who were offered development contracts, but turned them down because it was for a team that only existed on paper and they knew nothing about the game.
If they do the same thing now, they should get more traction and increase the talent pool considerably.
I like your presentation idea.
 
I was delighted to hear yesterday from my league brother in law that his son asked him put on the AFL in the last week.

Pretty sure the brother in law had to do a double take upon hearing that based on the surprised look on his face yesterday. 🤣

For reference, they went to 3 live games, Saints - loss, Swans derby - loss, Pies opening round - win.

So something is definitely working, a winning team definitely helps. If that's not a sign that the product is excellent, I don't know what is.
 
I would hope when the players visit the local school or footy club, that they give every kid a fixture with a magnet on top to stick on the fridge and a big statement at the bottom 'all giants games are live and free on 7 or 7 mate every weekend'.

I feel like most people wouldn't even know that they can watch every game live and free, every weekend. I'd hope they are doing this, but probably not, I think they only give a poster of the players, which is good but doesn't give that full weekly connection that's required to get invested.
 
I would hope when the players visit the local school or footy club, that they give every kid a fixture with a magnet on top to stick on the fridge and a big statement at the bottom 'all giants games are live and free on 7 or 7 mate every weekend'.

I feel like most people wouldn't even know that they can watch every game live and free, every weekend. I'd hope they are doing this, but probably not, I think they only give a poster of the players, which is good but doesn't give that full weekly connection that's required to get invested.

Bingo. Engagement, engagement, and I can't say this enough, engagement.

Keeping engaged in whatever way possible can be incredibly powerful when reinforced with other engagement initiatives. The club does this via its social media and TV is another medium to reinforce that.
 
The problem getting juniors through the programs, unfortunately always will be, is that Rugby, NRL, Basketball, Cricket etc etc can all offer contracts to kids showing pathways and their way into the top flight.
Rightfully or wrongly we, and the other northern clubs, can’t compete with that because of the draft setup.

Just the way it is.
 
The problem getting juniors through the programs, unfortunately always will be, is that Rugby, NRL, Basketball, Cricket etc etc can all offer contracts to kids showing pathways and their way into the top flight.
Rightfully or wrongly we, and the other northern clubs, can’t compete with that because of the draft setup.

Just the way it is.
That is only a small percentage of the elite that get both NRL and AFL offers.
I don't think this is a big problem.
 


Two ‘forward’ thinking news articles:

Jesse Hogan’s scintillating early season form has been rewarded with a two-year extension

Giants’ key forward Jesse Hogan has inked a fresh deal keeping him in Sydney to the end of 2026, but what have GWS done to bring out his career best form?

Lachlan McKirdy

03 April 2024

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Getting into an opponent’s head is one of Jesse Hogan’s greatest assets.

He’ll study their game, pick up little quirks that they subconsciously display and find ways to get on top. Whether it’s during the week against a teammate or on the biggest stage, Hogan backs himself to get the job done.

“In person adds a different level of pressure,” Hogan said.

“I love the mind games with Sam (Taylor), he’s extremely competitive so any chance I can get one up on him, no matter what it is, I very much enjoy that.”

It’s an insight into Hogan’s competitiveness that it isn’t just footy where he applies that mindset. The above comments stem from one of Hogan’s other loves, chess.

The classic board game has become a regular part of the 29-year-old’s routine. He’s found it the perfect way to switch off after training, while still satisfying his innate desire to win.

“The second I leave training, I play two or three half an hour games of chess,” Hogan said. “Or it’s straight on Surfline to see if and where there’s waves.

“My partner isn’t a massive fan of chess, but if I get days off and she’s not around I’ll spend an hour or two playing each day.

“Sam Taylor’s a bit flaky. He has a similar rating to me on Chess.com, but he hasn’t been playing as much as I have and I think that shows in the live games. Adam Kennedy also gets around a little bit.

“But I think on the away trips me and Sam are going to start taking the board for a few games the night before a match.”

Hogan’s relationship with footy has never been as positive as it is now. The key forward has started the year as the most dominant goal-kicker in the AFL, leading the competition with 12 goals across his opening three games.

When he’s not on the field, he and partner Chloe have found comfort in the Sydney lifestyle and created habits to ensure his body remains as healthy as ever.

The proof is in the pudding that he and the Giants have formed the perfect partnership and as a result, the club has finalised a two-year extension that will see Hogan remain in the orange and charcoal until the end of 2026.

“I think every time you sign a contract there’s a period of relief,” Hogan said. “I’m grateful to get it done early in the year and to not have it drag out.

“I never wanted to leave. I’ve enjoyed my footy here and we’ve got a super tight-knit group. I mean, besides how expensive (Sydney) is, it’s really good.

“Coming to a footy club at an older age, I got here when I was 26 or 27, it’s a bit harder because most of the friendships are made because they got drafted together. But the Giants were different because everyone was from different parts of Australia.

“Honestly, the culture at this footy club was good when I got here, but where it’s at now, it’s the best culture I’ve been at by a long way.”

One of the keys for Hogan has been embracing the fact he is at a different stage of his football career.

At times, the former number two draft pick wasn’t even sure he would still be playing into his 30s. But he’s now in a position where his best form is ahead of him and the Giants’ medical staff have played a vital role in changing his attitude.

“Unfortunately my body has just let me down a couple of times,” Hogan said. “There were times in my career where I thought I might not make it to 30 let alone 26 or 27.

“I had the two naviculars, back stress fractures and numerous calves. So it did get pretty dark and we had to look at other ways to get load in and still have the confidence that I can get 23+ games in every year.

“We map out what each week is going to look like and it’s different to the main group. I have to be monitored. But pilates has become massive, and doing physio, all those little things as you get older become more important.

“I feel like my body is the strongest it has ever been in games and recovering from games. I’m not like the young boys where I feel good on Monday, but I feel good on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, which for me has come a long way.”

Hogan’s red-hot form is rubbing off on the rest of his teammates. Aaron Cadman looks like a different man in his second year in the AFL, while Callum Brown and Jake Riccardi have both started the season with big goal hauls.

It’s impossible to undersell the impact that he has had, even if he’s reluctant to get drawn into his own Coleman Medal hype.

“It’s in all my mates’ group chats … it’s only round three,” Hogan laughed.

“When I was younger, I loved stats in footy. But it’s bad for the mental side because if it starts to slip, you get absorbed by it. So honestly, I keep that as far out of my mind as possible.”

But team success has always been Hogan’s magnum opus. And after falling just short in last year’s preliminary final against Collingwood, he’s all in on helping the club win their maiden premiership.

“That’s the closest I’ve been to a team truly believing we could have won it,” he said. “To get that close, it does give you a taste for it … it was the first time for me of, ‘We’re actually the real deal’.

“I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a fire in my belly that that’s something I want to be involved in again and to ultimately hold the cup up in the last week of September.

“I think now that I’ve signed on, that’s something I truly want and believe we can get to.”



Playing on instinct: Cadman revels in Giants strides

Story by Esther Linder

AAP

03 April 2024

Young Greater Western Sydney star Aaron Cadman is trusting his instincts to help him blossom into the player he was touted to be.

Running hot with seven goals across three games, 2022's No.1 draft pick has found his feet among Adam Kingsley's big guns after missing out on a finals appearance last season.

Cadman played 12 games for the Giants during 2023 but returned to the VFL as the season reached its climax.

The 20-year-old led the Giants' attack in their 65-point monstering of West Coast before last weekend's round-three bye, kicking three goals from just nine touches to best powerhouse forwards Jesse Hogan and Brent Daniels.

While Cadman has worked hard on the track and in the gym, he says his new-found confidence also comes from doing his homework.

"Last year, I was a little bit lost. Just worrying if I'm in someone else's way, or if I'm doing the right thing," Cadman said on Wednesday.

"Now I'm just playing on instinct.

"Making sure I've got that game plan down pat so then I can go out and play on instinct has been a massive one for me.

"Reviewing clips - not even of me, of the team - team meetings, making sure I'm writing everything down in my little diary.

"(The) game plan's second nature for me now."

The Giants make the trip to Adelaide boasting fresh legs after a week off ahead of their Gather Round clash against Gold Coast at Mount Baker on Sunday.

Kingsley's charges lead the league by percentage in what Cadman describes as a "massive confidence boost" for the former rank outsiders.

The youngster, who debuted for the Giants in Adelaide last year against the Hawks, is relishing the opportunity to increase his impact on games.

"Last year, we were winning games by a bit and I was just having no impact," he said.

"So when we can win a game and I can be a part of it, it's a pretty special feeling.

"It boosts my confidence through the roof."
 
Two ‘forward’ thinking news articles:

Jesse Hogan’s scintillating early season form has been rewarded with a two-year extension

Giants’ key forward Jesse Hogan has inked a fresh deal keeping him in Sydney to the end of 2026, but what have GWS done to bring out his career best form?

Lachlan McKirdy

03 April 2024

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Getting into an opponent’s head is one of Jesse Hogan’s greatest assets.

He’ll study their game, pick up little quirks that they subconsciously display and find ways to get on top. Whether it’s during the week against a teammate or on the biggest stage, Hogan backs himself to get the job done.

“In person adds a different level of pressure,” Hogan said.

“I love the mind games with Sam (Taylor), he’s extremely competitive so any chance I can get one up on him, no matter what it is, I very much enjoy that.”

It’s an insight into Hogan’s competitiveness that it isn’t just footy where he applies that mindset. The above comments stem from one of Hogan’s other loves, chess.

The classic board game has become a regular part of the 29-year-old’s routine. He’s found it the perfect way to switch off after training, while still satisfying his innate desire to win.

“The second I leave training, I play two or three half an hour games of chess,” Hogan said. “Or it’s straight on Surfline to see if and where there’s waves.

“My partner isn’t a massive fan of chess, but if I get days off and she’s not around I’ll spend an hour or two playing each day.

“Sam Taylor’s a bit flaky. He has a similar rating to me on Chess.com, but he hasn’t been playing as much as I have and I think that shows in the live games. Adam Kennedy also gets around a little bit.

“But I think on the away trips me and Sam are going to start taking the board for a few games the night before a match.”

Hogan’s relationship with footy has never been as positive as it is now. The key forward has started the year as the most dominant goal-kicker in the AFL, leading the competition with 12 goals across his opening three games.

When he’s not on the field, he and partner Chloe have found comfort in the Sydney lifestyle and created habits to ensure his body remains as healthy as ever.

The proof is in the pudding that he and the Giants have formed the perfect partnership and as a result, the club has finalised a two-year extension that will see Hogan remain in the orange and charcoal until the end of 2026.

“I think every time you sign a contract there’s a period of relief,” Hogan said. “I’m grateful to get it done early in the year and to not have it drag out.

“I never wanted to leave. I’ve enjoyed my footy here and we’ve got a super tight-knit group. I mean, besides how expensive (Sydney) is, it’s really good.

“Coming to a footy club at an older age, I got here when I was 26 or 27, it’s a bit harder because most of the friendships are made because they got drafted together. But the Giants were different because everyone was from different parts of Australia.

“Honestly, the culture at this footy club was good when I got here, but where it’s at now, it’s the best culture I’ve been at by a long way.”

One of the keys for Hogan has been embracing the fact he is at a different stage of his football career.

At times, the former number two draft pick wasn’t even sure he would still be playing into his 30s. But he’s now in a position where his best form is ahead of him and the Giants’ medical staff have played a vital role in changing his attitude.

“Unfortunately my body has just let me down a couple of times,” Hogan said. “There were times in my career where I thought I might not make it to 30 let alone 26 or 27.

“I had the two naviculars, back stress fractures and numerous calves. So it did get pretty dark and we had to look at other ways to get load in and still have the confidence that I can get 23+ games in every year.

“We map out what each week is going to look like and it’s different to the main group. I have to be monitored. But pilates has become massive, and doing physio, all those little things as you get older become more important.

“I feel like my body is the strongest it has ever been in games and recovering from games. I’m not like the young boys where I feel good on Monday, but I feel good on Tuesday or Wednesday morning, which for me has come a long way.”

Hogan’s red-hot form is rubbing off on the rest of his teammates. Aaron Cadman looks like a different man in his second year in the AFL, while Callum Brown and Jake Riccardi have both started the season with big goal hauls.

It’s impossible to undersell the impact that he has had, even if he’s reluctant to get drawn into his own Coleman Medal hype.

“It’s in all my mates’ group chats … it’s only round three,” Hogan laughed.

“When I was younger, I loved stats in footy. But it’s bad for the mental side because if it starts to slip, you get absorbed by it. So honestly, I keep that as far out of my mind as possible.”

But team success has always been Hogan’s magnum opus. And after falling just short in last year’s preliminary final against Collingwood, he’s all in on helping the club win their maiden premiership.

“That’s the closest I’ve been to a team truly believing we could have won it,” he said. “To get that close, it does give you a taste for it … it was the first time for me of, ‘We’re actually the real deal’.

“I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a fire in my belly that that’s something I want to be involved in again and to ultimately hold the cup up in the last week of September.

“I think now that I’ve signed on, that’s something I truly want and believe we can get to.”



Playing on instinct: Cadman revels in Giants strides

Story by Esther Linder

AAP

03 April 2024

Young Greater Western Sydney star Aaron Cadman is trusting his instincts to help him blossom into the player he was touted to be.

Running hot with seven goals across three games, 2022's No.1 draft pick has found his feet among Adam Kingsley's big guns after missing out on a finals appearance last season.

Cadman played 12 games for the Giants during 2023 but returned to the VFL as the season reached its climax.

The 20-year-old led the Giants' attack in their 65-point monstering of West Coast before last weekend's round-three bye, kicking three goals from just nine touches to best powerhouse forwards Jesse Hogan and Brent Daniels.

While Cadman has worked hard on the track and in the gym, he says his new-found confidence also comes from doing his homework.

"Last year, I was a little bit lost. Just worrying if I'm in someone else's way, or if I'm doing the right thing," Cadman said on Wednesday.

"Now I'm just playing on instinct.

"Making sure I've got that game plan down pat so then I can go out and play on instinct has been a massive one for me.

"Reviewing clips - not even of me, of the team - team meetings, making sure I'm writing everything down in my little diary.

"(The) game plan's second nature for me now."

The Giants make the trip to Adelaide boasting fresh legs after a week off ahead of their Gather Round clash against Gold Coast at Mount Baker on Sunday.

Kingsley's charges lead the league by percentage in what Cadman describes as a "massive confidence boost" for the former rank outsiders.

The youngster, who debuted for the Giants in Adelaide last year against the Hawks, is relishing the opportunity to increase his impact on games.

"Last year, we were winning games by a bit and I was just having no impact," he said.

"So when we can win a game and I can be a part of it, it's a pretty special feeling.

"It boosts my confidence through the roof."

And you’ll never know until you actually know.
 

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