Club: Greater Western Sydney 

Coach: Alan McConnell 

Captain: Alicia Eva 

2021 best and fairest: Alyce Parker

Alyce Parker at the Giants team photo day on December 1, 2021. Picture: AFL Photos

2021 in a nutshell: It was an 'almost' season for the Giants, refusing to give in after being badly beaten by Fremantle and Adelaide in the opening fortnight. With Alyce Parker – equal third in the competition's best and fairest award – Rebecca Beeson and skipper Alicia Eva terrific contributors week-in and week-out, GWS won four of its next six games to be an outside chance of qualifying for the top-six before a last round loss to Carlton. Four wins and five losses left the Giants in ninth place.

Full squad: Nicola Barr, Rebecca Beeson, Chloe Dalton, Ally Dallaway, Jess Doyle, Alicia Eva, Tarni Evans, Georgina Fowler, Georgia Garnett, Libby Graham, Jasmine Grierson, Tanya Hetherington, Annalyse Lister, Erin Lorenzini (nee Todd), Katie Loynes, Tait Mackrill, Erin McKinnon, Ally Morphett, Brodee Mowbray, Alyce Parker, Emily Pease, Rebecca Privitelli, Pepa Randall, Casidhe Simmons, Katherine Smith, Brid Stack, Cora Staunton, Lisa Steane, Louise Stephenson, Haneen Zreika

Recruits: Chloe Dalton (Carlton), Jasmine Grierson (North Melbourne), Katie Loynes (Carlton), Isadora McLeay (North Shore AFL Sydney, replacement player), Ally Dallaway (East Coast AFL Sydney, replacement player)

Draftees: Jess Doyle, Georgina Fowler, Ally Morphett, Brodee Mowbray, Casidhe Simmons, Erin Lorenzini (nee Todd, re-listed) 

Jess Doyle in action at Giants training on November 15, 2021. Picture: Getty Images

Inactive: Jess Allan (work), Yvonne Bonner (pregnancy), Emily Goodsir (pregnancy), Isadora McLeay (North Shore AFL Sydney, replacement player, ACL) 

Out: Elle Bennetts (Western Bulldogs), Jess Dal Pos (Carlton), Aimee Schmidt (West Coast), Taylah Davies, Sarah Halvorsen, Jodie Hicks, Erin Todd, Britt Tully (delisted)

2022 opponents: Gold Coast (A), Fremantle (A), North Melbourne (A), Western Bulldogs (H), St Kilda (H), Melbourne (A), Adelaide (H), Carlton (H), Richmond (H), Geelong (A)

05:11

REVEALED: The 2022 NAB AFLW fixture is here

Every team, all the match-ups, where you need to be and when

Circle it: The round eight match against Carlton should be a beauty. Firstly, it's a Friday night fixture in Canberra, which is exciting for the Giants, and secondly they play a Blues team they lost to by a solitary point in 2021. 

Player to watch: Young defender Georgia Garnett took big strides last season with her ability to both intercept and use the ball well once she won it. Watch for her to take another leap in 2022.

Best Rising Star chance: Ally Morphett 

2022 prediction: The Giants should be super competitive and again look a mid-table team, but with a bit of luck could push for the bottom end of the top six. They've added some experience with Jasmine Grierson, Katie Loynes and Chloe Dalton and excitement with youngsters Morphett and Jess Doyle, but to really challenge the upper echelon will have to find a way to score more regularly. Three road matches to start their campaign is tricky, but if the Giants can keep their heads above water, have five of the next six matches at home to make a push.