GREATER Western Sydney's AFL Women's team has always been a bit different.

The Giants have played in the first two AFLW seasons, and they've certainly been noteworthy.

In 2017, the first season, the team was the competition's easy-beats, winning just one match and kicking only 23 goals in seven games.

A significant list overhaul (half the list of 30 was changed) and a new coach in Alan McConnell saw GWS rise up the ladder. The Giants finished fourth, but were in contention for the Grand Final in the final round.

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The Giants' scoring increased (32 goals), with percentage also up, from 51.8 to 92.6.

This year, with McConnell again at the helm, the Giants are aiming to go even further and are a genuine shot at a preliminary final spot.

With a combination of on-field talent (AFLPA MVP Courtney Gum and All-Australians Alicia Eva, Erin McKinnon and recruit Christina Bernardi) and unique off-field circumstances, the Giants are well poised to play in a preliminary final.

A fledgling team for a fledgling club not yet 10 years old (its first team, a men's under-18 TAC Cup side played in 2010), the Giants’ AFLW group has been able slot in to the fabric of the club with a little more ease than AFLW teams at some of the more established AFL clubs.

The AFLW players come into the club much earlier than some others (around mid-afternoon for gym work/preparation/physio appointments), meaning there's a larger overlap in time when AFL and AFLW players are at the club, sharing facilities and learning from one another.

Although New South Wales has a rapidly growing participation base, it’s still not mature enough to enable the Giants to create an entire home-grown AFLW-standard team. As a result, they have had to look outside the square in the short-term to attract players.

It's a big move for players to make to one of Australia’s most expensive cities for a five-month program, so a strong culture and a focus on retention are critical.

Womens.afl spent three days at the club, two weeks out from the start of the season. Over the next four days, our ‘One Giant Family’ series will explore what makes this AFLW side tick: the recruits, players making the Giants their second home, the locals, and the ringmaster in McConnell.

Part one of the four-part series will be published Friday, with the final piece slated for Monday, less than a week before the Giants start their 2019 campaign by heading north to take on Brisbane.