Friendly Giants? Flag fancies that ‘can’t hurt you’ after second straight loss... and big call on #1 draftee

GWS have been labelled “impotent” after their 32-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, with a modern day great also suggesting the club has a big decision to make up forward with a number one draft pick.

After trailing by just five points at the main break at their second home in Canberra, the Giants kicked a singular point to the Bulldogs’ 5.3 in the third term to completely derail their chances of getting back on the winners list for a second straight week.

Strongly regarded as one of the league’s premiership favourites during pre-season, Adam Kingsley’s side is now 4-3 and are likely to slide to seventh on the ladder come the end of the round.

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Speaking on Super Saturday Live after the loss, dual Kangaroos premiership player David King broke down the current profiling of the Giants.

“They’re impotent; they actually can’t hurt you as a footy club,” King said.

“They’re not moving the ball anywhere near the way they want to, they’re not scoring as heavily as they want to.

“They’re only averaging 87 points a game. They don’t hurt you on intercept, they don’t hurt you on counter-punch from half back like they once did.

“If they win, they defend themselves to victory — they don’t really blow you away. They’ve got massive, massive problems in terms of being the complete package that can win the flag (and) they wouldn’t be in the top four or five teams now if you had to list your (premiership) contenders.”

While for the second straight week in a row the Giants had more marks and more disposals, it ultimately meant nothing as the Bulldogs smoked them at clearance 33-55.

Gun defensive duo Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash led the match for disposals, again combining for over 60 touches off half back. However, the duo were only involved in five score involvements each out of their side’s 19 total scores.

But three-time premiership player Jack Riewoldt believes red flags are appearing inside their attacking half, with four talls over 192cm playing in the same side.

“My worries lie with their forward line, especially their key forwards. At the moment, they’re playing (Jake) Stringer, (Jake) Riccardi, (Aaron) Cadman and (Jesse) Hogan. I just don’t see them surviving in the same forward line, all four of those keys there,” Riewoldt highlighted.

“They’ve got (Harvey) Thomas and (Darcy) Jones who are going to be bonafide stars, and (are) close to (it) ... I think it’s Cadman ... the heat is on Aaron Cadman.

“Do you need to try him down back? Do you need to do something different with him, or does he need to go back to the 2s, have a spell, and actually find some form. Because at the moment, he’s just not impacting to the level that I think a number one draft pick — who’s played 50 games of (AFL) footy — should.

The number one selection in the 2022 AFL National Draft has kicked seven goals from seven games this season, and has looked as physically fit for they key forward role as he has in two and a half years in the system.

With his teammate Hogan the reigning Coleman Medallist, Riccardi the side’s second ruck and Stringer the club’s big off-season recruit, life up forward hasn’t been easy so far this season for the 21-year-old.

Kingsley reacts to 3rd quarter collapse | 09:46

Star key defender Jack Buckley spoke with Fox Footy post-game, and also flagged his side’s contest work was what let them down majorly after half time.

“It was disappointing ... and to come out at half time like that, and just have a really terrible third quarter, it’s really disappointing — especially on the back of last week,” Buckley told three-time premiership Cat Cameron Mooney in the changerooms.

“To play AFL football, you’ve got to win contest, and we didn’t do that. (We) got what we deserved in the end.

“If we don’t bring it next week, it’s going to be the same, so it’s on us.”

The Giants will have the chance to rectify their wrongs in the Sydney Derby next Sunday afternoon at the SCG against the Swans.

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