The Greater Western Sydney GIANTS played their first ever match in the nation’s capital today. An impressive crowd of 2,503 people came down to Ainslie Oval to watch the GIANTS take on a combined ACT representative side and help celebrate a hundred years of AFL in the ACT.
When the first siren sounded, both the ACT and GIANTS sides came out firing. It was clear that both teams had come to play and that it was going to be a very physical contest. Corey Baxter scored the first goal of the match for the ACT. It was the only goal of the first quarter with inaccurate goal kicking leaving the GIANTS trailing by one point at the first break. GWS 0.6.6 ACT 1.1.7.
Sean Ellis kicked the second goal for ACT in the first passage of play following the break. Jeremy Cameron and Jimmi Savage both answered the challenge for the GIANTS with consecutive goals following impressive marks. The GIANTS showed big improvement in their shots on goal, booting five goals to put the GIANTS ahead by eight points at the half time break. GWS 5.10.40 ACT 5.2.32.
The third quarter saw the Bruce brothers battle for the lead. Two goals in quick succession from Aaron Bruce put ACT in front at the beginning of the quarter. A goal from Isiah Stevens soon after and another from Josh Bruce put the GIANTS back in the lead.
The tone was set for a tense and exciting final quarter as hundreds of spectators headed on to the field after to listen to final address from the coaches GWS 7.15.57 ACT 8.6.54.
Jeremy Cameron was the first to score in the final quarter, however it was unfortunately the only goal for the GIANTS in the final term.
The GIANTS players had a number of chances to take the lead towards the end of the match but inaccurate goal kicking proved to be the young sides biggest downfall. At the final siren, the ACT side emerged victors. GWS 8.19.67 ACT 12.7.79
GIANTS coach Kevin Sheedy was optimistic about the result of the match which he said was a great challenge and learning curve for his young side.
“This is a great challenge for us. This is like their first day at school. What we’ll be giving the team is building blocks to work on so eventually they can play great footy in the AFL.
“They’ll get better every match, that’s the main thing. Every time they come out to a ground and play, we want them to get better.
“We’ll see them all gradually come together. We will build and they will get better, they will become more confident playing with each other.”
Sheedy said that some of the players on the field for both sides represented an exciting opportunity to build and mature the club’s existing talent base. Players from the ACT representative side will be selected as top up players for the GIANTS in 2012.
“The ACT side will put six players up for selection and depending on what our injuries are we may been them. That may be for next week.
“Stuart Turner, who is from Western Sydney, played for us today played pretty well all day. He is only 16 and so is too young to play for us next week,” he said.
GWS GIANTS 8.19.67
ACT 12.7.79
Bests for GIANTS:
Curtly Hampton, Jonothan Giles, Tomas Bugg
GIANTS Goal Kickers:
Jeremy Cameron 2
Jimmi Savage 2
Josh Bruce 1
Jonathon Giles 1
Isiah Stevens 1
Jordan Harper 1
Official Crowd:
2,503
