GREATER Western Sydney is well aware it is fighting a delicate balance in its bid to retain all of its emerging young stars.

 

The 'go home' factor brings its share of challenges as the Giants have already found when they lost talented key forward Tom Boyd to the Western Bulldogs in last month's trade period.

 

With opposition clubs set to come hard to pry other well-regarded youngsters away from the club, including Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Jonathon Patton and Jeremy Cameron, the Giants have identified the need to keep their list in tact as they build towards their first tilt at a premiership.

 

There are also a number of developing players battling with others to be afforded senior opportunities.

 

"That's a problem and that's why some of those lads have probably gone home," Giants football manager Graeme Allan told AFL.com.au's NAB AFL Draft Countdown show.

 

"It's up to us that we keep the core together that we want and then we'll work from there."

 

Allan went through the same difficulties keeping the Brisbane Lions' list together ahead of their premiership three-peat in the early 2000s.

 

He said the same rationale that served the Lions so well would be applied at the Giants.

 

"Every year I used to hear the same thing, 'Oh they're going to go home,'" Allan said.

 

"None of them went home. They all stayed and they all got well paid and that'll be the same thing here."