Greater Western Sydney has the ability to capitalise on its top-four finish and win a historic first premiership in its maiden September campaign, according to coach Leon Cameron.
The GIANTS locked in a finals double chance on Saturday night with a 37-point win over North Melbourne and are set to face the Sydney Swans in a qualifying final at ANZ Stadium if Hawthorn beats Collingwood on Sunday.
They have beaten every finalist except West Coast and Adelaide this year, last beating the Crows in 2015 and carrying a 0-5 record against the Eagles heading into September.
The GIANTS also beat the Swans in their last clash in round 12 and are the only finalists to have won their past two matches against reigning premier Hawthorn.
Cameron said he definitely did not think his team was capable of finishing in the top four at the start of the season, but his belief and focus had changed through the year.
Asked if his young team could win the premiership, Cameron said: "Absolutely".
"The season is just full of surprises and I'm sure West Coast are sitting there thinking they can win it. I'm sure Adelaide will bounce back from what happened last night," the coach said.
I think anyone can win it. We're sitting in the top four at the moment, which is fantastic, we get a double chance.
"Where that takes us, I believe our players can go all the way. Having said that, there's a hell of a lot of work to do."
The likelihood of a Sydney derby shapes as a bonus for the GIANTS, who would otherwise travel to Melbourne to face Geelong at the MCG in a qualifying final if the Hawks lose to Collingwood on Sunday.
GWS has a 1-1 record against the Swans this year, having won in round 12 by 42 points at Spotless Stadium and lost by 25 points at the SCG in round three.
The teams last clashed at ANZ Stadium in 2013 when the GIANTS won just one game in their second season.
"If it is [the Swans] it's going to be terrific. They're a super team and they're the in-form team of the paast five or six weeks," Cameron said.
"In terms of footy in New South Wales … it's just going to be enormous if it does happen. To have a derby in a final would be outstanding.
"Our boys are just really rapt that they're in there and in there with a chance."
While 16 GIANTS who played on Saturday night have not played finals, Cameron said the experienced six who have – including premiership players Heath Shaw, Steve Johnson and Shane Mumford – would be valuable assets.
"That's going to help our young guys, but I think that youth we've got in our team is going to be exciting for us," the coach said.
"We know there's some really seasoned, hard teams that sit above us and around us. So the challenge for us is can we continue to match that.
"I think our guys really want that challenge."
