AFL history was made tonight when the GWS GIANTS played their first two NAB Cup matches against AFL clubs in front of a sold out crowd at Blacktown Olympic Park.
Excitement has been building in the GIANTS camp for weeks as the team prepared for a great opportunity to take on AFL heavyweights for the first time, a year out from their entry into the AFL in 2012.
In the first match of the night, the GIANTS took on the Sydney Swans.
In what was a tough inaugural AFL match for the young side, the GIANTS showed some promising talent and players to look out for in future matches.
Jeremy Cameron took a fantastic mark in front of the Swans goal just after the first bounce, stopping what would certainly have been Sydney’s first goal of the night.
The Swans led through the first match and ran out winners, 0.0.4 to 13.5.83.
The players then used the 40-minute break to refocus and assess the ‘take-outs’ from the first match.
In the third match of the evening, the GIANTS took on the Gold Coast Suns. While the Suns were quick to score in the third game, the GIANTS came into their second match with a lot of flair and enthusiasm.
Jimmi Savage made GIANTS history, kicking the club’s first goal in an AFL match. Savage took an impressive mark in the GIANTS forward 50 and booted it through to cheers from the thousands of GIANTS supporters around the ground.
Isiah Stevens the followed on, kicking the GIANTS’ second goal for the evening soon after. The recruit from Western Australia took on two opponents, cutting around the Suns players and kicking a goal on the run to put the GIANTS down by six points.
With two minutes remaining in the first half, Jarrod Harding kicked another goal for the GIANTS, putting the AFL’s newest side in front for the first time.
The GIANTS went into the second half up by one point. Both sides continued to battle it out through the second half in sweltering heat, the GIANTS making the Suns fight to the end for their eventual victory. The final scores were, GIANTS 4.3.27 to Suns 8.4.52.
GIANTS coach Kevin Sheedy said that the club was thrilled to have an opportunity to play in the NAB Cup and give his young side some valuable AFL match experience.
“From our point of view, it’s the best thing that we’ve done since starting the club. We put our hand up and said we’ll take the experience in the NAB Cup that no kid has had before.
“We were blessed with that opportunity to see how far we’ve got to go. That was a real learning curve for our boys,” Sheedy said.
Sheedy was also enthusiastic about the GIANTS ability to rise after their defeat and improve dramatically in the second match.
“I thought we played better in the last six or seven minutes of the first game. They just started to get an idea of just how hard this game is.
“I spoke to the boys after the first game and said ‘tell me what you think, tell me about it’ and they said it’s just so quick. You can talk about it, you can show it on the screen, you can make all the best edits you can possibly make but until you actually get out there you really don’t know.
“They didn’t drop the baton and walk away. We learnt from that first 40-minute game and that’s the most important thing. If you learn from the games that you lose then you’ll always have an opportunity to go further in your careers.
“We need to add to the team that we already have so the way that we recruit is going to be very important to us over the next 12 months,” Sheedy said.
Game One
GWS GIANTS 0.4.4
Sydney Swans 13.5.83
Game Two
GWS GIANTS 4.3.27
GC Suns 8.4.52
Bests for GIANTS
Shiel, Hombsch, Bugg, Stevens
GIANTS Goal Kickers
Jimmi Savage 1
Isiah Stevens 1
Jarrod Harding 1
Jack Hombsch 1
Official Crowd
9,447
