About GWS Giants

Established in 2009 and entering the competition in 2012, the Giants are the AFL’s youngest club. Located in Rugby League heartland, GWS has had a tricky beginning to its AFL experience, both on and off the park. With a last place finish in its first two seasons, and ordinary crowd attendance, for a long time the Giants were looking like a failed attempt to tap into the Western Sydney market.

Perhaps the worst decision in GWS’s short history was to sign then Rugby League and now Rugby Union player Israel Folau. Folau had a torrid time in the AFL, and at no stage looked like he belonged playing Aussie Rules.

With one of the youngest squads the AFL has ever seen, great of the game Kevin Sheedy had an understandably insurmountable task of coaching his team to instant success. Instead, he instilled the young group full of high draft picks with good habits that have only started to manifest themselves in the past few seasons.

Under Leon Cameron, the Giants performance on the park has drastically improved. In the past two seasons GWS have finished 4th, and in both years been eliminated in the preliminary finals. With the squad that has the most potential and talent in the league, it won’t be long before the Giants will be winning consecutive flags, much to the ire of fans from opposing teams.

In the most vibrant and diverse region of Australia, the Giants have the capacity to capture the hearts and minds of the region. Whether they achieve this feat remains to be seen.