LEON Cameron has rejected the suggestion Greater Western Sydney’s game plan is outdated and is forcing it to rely on special performances from the likes of Toby Greene.
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Greene was clear best on ground in the Giants’ 12-point win over Richmond, picking up the full 10 votes in the AFL Coaches’ Association’s AFL Champion Player Award.
But Cameron says the Giants are far from being a one-man team.
"We love what [Greene] can do, and no doubt we’re a better team when we have him in the side," Cameron said.
"He had a really good game on the weekend; 18 possessions and five goals in a shorter period is pretty damn good.
"But equally I thought [Josh] Kelly had his best game for the year, [Stephen] Coniglio took another step in the right direction after he was the first to admit he was a bit out of form a few weeks ago. [Lachie] Whitfield had a really good, solid game as well, just to name a few.
"I don’t think we’re a side that relies on Toby Greene. We love having him in the team more than out of the team, but I’d hate to think we’re relying on one player."
Greene has had his share of injury concerns in recent years, so the Giants will look to manage arguably their most-prized player throughout the rest of the season, but especially during the period of games with multiple short breaks between matches.
"We have to keep managing him and keep getting him out on the field in the best possible manner so he can play really good footy for us," Cameron said.
"He’s had shin issues, knee issues, some soft tissue injuries over the last two to three years. We sort of get two or three games into him, and then he misses one. Hopefully it’s smooth sailing from here, that would be great for us.
"It’s not just Toby. No doubt over the coming three weeks we’re going to have some big decisions to make on players, on how they’ve pulled up and can they back up and back up and back up?
"It’s not just the first five-day break, it’s the second and third that you might be playing."
Cameron was quick to reject the idea the Giants’ game plan is outdated, saying "I totally disagree" and pointing out injuries to players like Zac Williams, Adam Kennedy and Sam Reid have forced the team to adjust its game style.
"Those sort of guys help in terms of ball movement, but also in defending around the ground as well," the coach said.
"We’ve gone from 130 minutes to 100 minutes [playing time]. The change overnight, some clubs have been able to do that, maybe because of the speed on their list. Some sides are benefiting more than others.
"I thought we actually moved the ball better [against Richmond]. We were a bit bolder, we went through the middle of the ground. But do you actually be bold and try going through the middle of the ground, or stick to the boundary as well?"
GWS plays Gold Coast next, on Sunday afternoon at Metricon Stadium, in a crucial game with both teams sitting on four wins and four losses.
