What’s on at the GIANTS?

GREATER Western Sydney initially targeted experienced opposition players with its mini-draft concessions but opted to take draft picks when opposition clubs proved reluctant to trade their stars, Giants list manager Stephen Silvagni says.

The Giants’ mini-draft riches were different to those the AFL envisaged when it announced the concession – which expansion predecessor Gold Coast did not enjoy – in October 2009.

At the time, the AFL’s rationale was that GWS, being based in a largely unexplored AFL region, would need greater assistance than the Suns to attract experienced opposition players.

But Silvagni said despite the Giants’ best efforts, the clubs bidding for the rights to the country’s elite 17-year-olds had preferred to offer draft picks.

“Our focus initially was to get some quality players through the door, senior players,” Silvagni told Gillette AFL Trade Radio on Wednesday.

“Having said that, probably clubs weren’t forthcoming in terms of what we wanted. We knew that the picks were valuable and obviously we wanted quality players back.

The Greater Western Sydney GIANTS have secured five of the first 13 selections at this year’s NAB AFL Draft.

The GIANTS will have the first three selections in November’s Draft followed by picks 12 and 13.

In a deal with the Melbourne Football Club, the GIANTS have exchanged the second pick in the mini-draft (Jess Hogan) along with selection 20 in the NAB AFL Draft and Dominic Barry (NT Zone selection) in return for selections three and 13 at the NAB AFL Draft. The GIANTS have now traded all available picks in the mini draft.

The GIANTS also secured selections two and 12 at the Draft as part of trades with the Gold Coast and St Kilda. The GIANTS have now traded all available picks in the mini draft.

GIANTS List Manager Stephen Silvagni said the club was pleased with the outcome of all mini draft trades and was thrilled to have again secured the first three selections in the upcoming NAB AFL Draft.

“We are focused on securing the best young talent available to ensure the long term success of the GIANTS. To have five of the first 13 selections, on top of the 11 first round picks we had last year, puts us in the position to build on an already exciting young list,” he said.

The GIANTS recruitment policy has focused not only on talent, but on attracting quality people.

“We’ve been really fortunate to pull a group together that are not only exceptional athletes, but exceptional people,” said Silvagni.

“We’re really pleased with what we’ve got through the door.

“Hopefully they can grow and learn and as long as they come out as better people than what they came into our club as, I think we’ve succeeded.”

The Full back of the Century says there is still a lot of hard work to do before the young list begins to realise it’s potential.

“We realise it’s going to take three or four years before this club becomes powerful,” said Silvagni.

“That’s our strategy. Our strategy is to be patient and we’re going to have sustained success and be a successful club.

Graeme and GIANTS Head Coach Sheedy joked with the crowd at the GIANTS Grand Final Luncheon, reminiscing about the infamous quarter time brawl in which the pair came together.

“We’ve got two very different stories to the quarter time fight,” teased Allan.

“There was a massive fight on one side of the ground with the players. As quarter time broke out, I ran onto the ground to go to the Collingwood huddle… I ended up in the Essendon huddle.

“Somehow, the Essendon runner was giving a bit of cheek. He was the first bloke I’ve ever hit in my life and I hit him!

“He went down. Next thing I know, all hell broke loose in the Essendon huddle.”

Sheedy interrupted to say that that was where Allan’s story started to deviate from the truth.

“Sheeds reckons he came over the top and hit me, that’s not true,” continued Allan.