The GWS Giants had the ability to beat anyone in 2024, as demonstrated by away wins over both grand finalists. But they also had the ability to lose to anyone in a season littered by inconsistency.
BY THE NUMBERS
Position: 14th
W-L-D (%): 8-10 (91.0%)
Players used: 54
Played every match: 2 – Jackson Bowne, Ryan Hebron
AFL players used: 26 (220 matches)
Ex-AFL players: 2 (10 matches)
Debutants: 16 – Mackenzie Allen, Cooper Bell, Ned Byrne, Joe Fonti, Kale Gabila, Phoenix Gothard, Riley Hamilton, Coby Hilton, James Leake, Billy McGee-Galimberti, Harper Montgomery, Nathan Richards, Joel Rush, Josh Smith, Logan Smith, Ethan Williams
STAR PERFORMERS
Best and Fairest: Conor Stone
J.J. Liston Trophy: James Peatling (8 votes), Nick Madden (7), Harry Rowston (5), Nick Haynes (4), Xavier O’Halloran (4)
Coaches MVP votes: Nick Haynes (35 votes), James Peatling (27), Nick Madden (21), Harry Rowston (19), Wade Derksen (18)
Leading Goalkickers: Max Gruzewski (30), Lachie Keeffe (17), Conor Stone (17), Phoenix Gothard (15), Matt Harms (12)
Smithy’s VFL Team of the Year: Nil
STAT LEADERS
(Averages – minimum 6 matches)
Disposals: Nick Haynes 31.4, Josh Fahey 27.7, Harry Rowston 23.8, James Leake 23.6, Conor Stone 20.0
Contested possessions: Nick Madden 12.9, James Leake 11.8, Harry Rowston 8.9, Toby McMullin 8.6, Phoenix Gothard 8.2
Kicks: Nick Haynes 22.6, Josh Fahey 21.4, Harry Rowston 16.2, James Leake 14.2, Wade Derksen 13.6
Handballs: James Leake 9.4, Nick Haynes 8.9, Jacob Wehr 8.6, Nick Madden 8.1, Billy McGee-Galimberti 7.9
Marks: Nick Haynes 11.0, Wade Derksen 6.9, Josh Fahey 6.3, Jacob Wehr 5.9, Conor Stone 5.5
Tackles: Marc Sheather 6.6, James Leake 6.0, Harry Rowston 5.2, Cooper Hamilton 4.6, Phoenix Gothard 4.6
Hitouts: Nick Madden 28.6, Logan Smith 22.9, Lachie Keeffe 10.6, Max Gruzewski 1.2, Callum Brown 0.5
Clearances: Nick Madden 7.2, Harry Rowston 5.6, James Leake 5.2, Toby McMullin 3.6, Marc Sheather 3.3
Inside-50s: Harry Rowston 5.1, James Leake 4.0, Conor Stone 3.7, Marc Sheather 3.4, Toby McMullin 2.9, Adam Kennedy 2.9
Rebound-50s: Nick Haynes 8.7, Josh Fahey 8.3, Wade Derksen 4.3, Jacob Wehr 3.7, Ethan Williams 3.3
What went right: The Giants claimed some impressive scalps throughout the year. Their best victory was coming from behind in the final term to roll eventual premiers Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval in Round 4. They also knocked off runner-up Southport at Fankhauser Reserve in Round 14, sunk defending premier Gold Coast in Round 17 and broke a three-match losing run in the second Sydney Derby when they downed the Swans in Round 13. Nick Haynes put aside the disappointment of losing his AFL spot to lead strongly, ranking No.1 in the league for kicks, marks and rebounds per game, while Conor Stone showed strong growth to win the best and fairest and Wade Derksen’s move to defence was a winner and earned him a nod in the Team of the Year squad of 40.
What went wrong: While they won the big games, the Giants also put in some disappointing performances that cost them a finals berth. They lost at home with a very strong side to Frankston in Round 7 and then slipped up against Carlton in Round 15 which broke a run of nine-straight defeats for the Blues. While they had the ability to score (125 vs Sandringham, 106 vs Werribee, 112 vs Southport), those were the only three games where they topped 100 points for the year. Losing star recruit Harper Montgomery for the first half of the year to a broken leg didn’t help, while fellow signing Marc Sheather also had his injury issues and Will Shaw didn’t get on the park at all.
Summary: A 14th-place finish seemed to be about the right result for a club who had an issue with consistency once again. They have the ability to beat anyone – and they showed it – but they also have the ability to lose to anyone – which they also showed. Young behemoth ruckman Nick Madden had injury issues but showed plenty of positive signs when he played and could become one of the best big men in the competition as he continues to push for an AFL debut. Ryan Hebron continues to be a terrific leader and the likes of James Creighton, Nic Quigg and Jackson Bowne became bonafide players.
Grade: 6/10
2024 SMITHY'S VFL SEASON REVIEWS
North Melbourne
Port Melbourne
Casey Demons
Coburg
Carlton
Collingwood
Northern Bullants
