GWS Giants: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds

Mick Stirling

GWS Giants: 2019 fixtures, preview, list changes, every player and odds image

The concept of a ‘premiership window’ has never seemed more real than in the case of the Giants, and as every year passes the chances to take advantage of draft concessions fade and a future more akin to Gold Coast’s comes into view.

Preliminary final failures in 2016 and 2017 turned into a semi-final fizzer in 2018, followed by the loss of Dylan Shiel, Rory Lobb, Tom Scully and Will Setterfield in the trade period, leaving the list looking weaker and the future looking bleaker.

But how bad was GWS’s 2018? The Giants were devastated by injuries yet still finished top six, smashing arch-rivals Sydney in the first week of September before falling two goals short of eventual grand finalists Collingwood on the MCG.

Toby Greene, Jeremy Cameron, Zach Williams and Josh Kelly were just some of the players that missed big chunks of the season, and with a bit of luck owed on the injury front surely things could turn around for a title shot in 2019.

Surely.

List changes

In

Jye Caldwell (Bendigo Pioneers), Jackson Hately (Central District), Xavier O’Halloran (Western Jets), Ian Hill (Perth), Kieren Briggs (GWS Academy), Connor Idun (Geelong Falcons)

GWS Giants 2018 draft Jye Caldwell Jackson Hately Xavier O

Out

Rory Lobb, Tom Scully, Will Setterfield, Dylan Shiel, Tim Mohr, Lachlan Tiziani, Ryan Griffen

Best Brownlow chances

Josh Kelly $16, Stephen Coniglio $51, Callan Ward $51, Lachie Whitfield $51

After missing seven games through the 2018 home-and-away season Kelly was never going to threaten on Brownlow night, but he was sixth the previous year and, given a healthy run next campaign, will be every chance to salute.

Coniglio, on the other hand, had an outstanding season that saw him at the top of many media awards, yet the classy midfielder failed to catch the eye of the umpires, finishing on just 11 votes despite averaging 28 disposals and over a goal a game.

Co-captain Ward always polls but hasn’t threatened since a top-10 finish in 2015, however, Whitfield could be worth a plunge after a breakout season that saw him take out the club best and fairest award and be named All Australian for the first time.

Players to watch

Jeremy Cameron, Jacob Hopper

The importance of Cameron to the Giants is hard to overestimate. When he kicks goals the side tends to win, and with the failure of Jon Patton to fire up forward, Cameron has become the focal point of the GWS attack. Missing Toby Greene at his feet in 2018 didn’t help, and if the pair can stay injury - and controversy – free in 2019 the Giants’ flag fortunes will well and truly rise. But that’s a pretty big ‘if’.

Depth of talent has never been a problem in GWS’s short history, but Dylan Shiel’s departure will test the strength of the list. However, the emergence of Hopper has been largely unnoticed and the 21-year-old looks ready to step up. His early-career numbers are tracking in a similar fashion to Josh Kelly’s and, on the cusp of his fourth season, Hopper’s ripe to explode. Coach Leon Cameron will be hoping he does.

A last chance to watch?

Heath Shaw, Josh Kelly

Shaw hasn’t slowed down yet, but his composure and quality of ball use dropped off in 2018, suggesting that even if his 33-year-old body is still up to the challenge, maybe his head and heart aren’t. No doubt the 2010 Collingwood premiership player will want to have one more tilt at the title, but it’s hard to see Shaw going on past 2019.

Heath Shaw

There’s no doubt Kelly will be playing football for years to come, but will this be his last season in orange? North Melbourne has made no secret of the fact it’s still pursuing the star midfielder and will once again be throwing huge dollars his way. That Kelly only extended his contract to the end of 2019 suggests he’s very much on the market. 

GWS Giants’ 2019 list

No. Name Games Date of birth Height, weight Position
10 Bonar, Aiden  8 Mar 1999  189cm 86kg Forward
  Briggs, Kieren    200cm 103kg Ruck
43 Buckley, Dylan (R)  41  16 Mar 1993  179cm 76kg Defender
41 Buckley, Jack (R)  17 Dec 1997  194cm 81kg Forward
21 Buntine, Matthew  50  19 Oct 1993  189cm 84kg Defender
5 Caldwell, Jye  28 Sep 2000 184cm 82kg Midfield
18 Cameron, Jeremy  130  1 Apr 1993  196cm 94kg Forward
3 Coniglio, Stephen  118  15 Dec 1993  182cm 85kg Midfield
35 Corr, Aidan  75 17 May 1994  195cm 94kg Defender
13 Cumming, Isaac  11 Aug 1998  184cm 74kg Defender
16 Daniels, Brent  9 Mar 1999  171cm 70kg Forward
1 Davis, Phil  143  30 Aug 1990  197cm 96kg Defender
24 De Boer, Matthew  168  10 Mar 1990  189cm 86kg Forward
7 Deledio, Brett  261  18 Apr 1987  188cm 86kg Midfield
31 Finlayson, Jeremy  15  9 Feb 1996  196cm 91kg Defender
30 Flynn, Matthew 13 Sep 1997  200cm 101kg Ruck
4 Greene, Toby  126  25 Sep 1993  182cm 82kg Forward
9 Hately, Jackson  21 Oct 2000 189cm 80kg Midfield
19 Haynes, Nick  105  18 May 1992  193cm 89kg Defender
37 Hill, Ian  9 Feb 2000 175cm 65kg Forward
27 Himmelberg, Harrison  40  8 May 1996 194cm 92kg Defender
2 Hopper, Jacob  44  6 Feb 1997  187cm 87kg Midfield
39 Idun, Connor  29 Jul 2000 191cm 91kg Defender
25 Keeffe, Lachlan  48  14 Apr 1990  204cm 101kg Defender
22 Kelly, Joshua  100  12 Feb 1995  184cm 82kg Midfield
40 Kennedy, Adam  92  12 Jul 1992  182cm 80kg Defender
17 Langdon, Zac  21  13 Nov 1995  175cm 75kg Forward
38 Lloyd, Daniel (R)  21  18 Feb 1992  187cm 87kg Forward
41 Mumford, Shane  172  5 Jul 1986  197cm 105kg Ruck
33 O'Halloran, Xavier  11 Jul 2000 186cm 84kg Midfield
12 Patton, Jonathon  89  20 May 1993  198cm 101kg Forward
36 Perryman, Harry  17  19 Dec 1998  184cm 77kg Defender
50 Reid, Samuel (R)  64  7 Nov 1989  188cm 85kg Forward
23 Shaw, Heath  282  27 Nov 1985  183cm 86kg Defender
11 Sheridan, Thomas  81  28 Oct 1993  187cm 82kg Defender
34 Shipley, Nicholas  25 Jun 1999  188cm 93kg Midfield
26 Simpson, Dawson  39  17 Feb 1989  210cm 109kg Ruck
28 Sproule, Zachary (R) 12 May 1998  197cm 91kg Forward
42 Stein, Jake (R)  17 Jan 1994  195cm 94kg Defender
14 Taranto, Tim  37  28 Jan 1998  186cm 83kg Midfield
15 Taylor, Sam  5 May 1999  196cm 87kg Defender
20 Tomlinson, Adam  115  10 Aug 1993  194cm 97kg Defender
8 Ward, Callan  216  10 Apr 1990  187cm 84kg Midfield
6 Whitfield, Lachie  114  18 Jul 1994  187cm 81kg Midfield
29 Williams, Zachary  78  20 Sep 1994  185cm 84kg Defender


GWS Giants’ 2019 Fixture 

Round Date Opponent Venue
1 Sunday 24 Mar 3:20pm Essendon Showground Stadium
2 Saturday 30 Mar 5:10pm  West Coast  Optus Stadium
3 Saturday 6 Apr 4:35pm Richmond Showground Stadium
4 Saturday 13 Apr 1:45pm  Geelong GMHBA Stadium
5 Saturday 20 Apr 1:45pm Fremantle Canberra Oval
6 Saturday 27 Apr 7:25pm  Sydney SCG
7 Saturday 4 May 1:45pm  St Kilda Canberra Oval
8 Sunday 12 May 3:20pm  Hawthorn MCG
9 Sunday 19 May 4:40pm Carlton Showground Stadium
10 Sunday 26 May 1:10pm  Melbourne MCG
11 Saturday 1 Jun 1:45pm  Gold Coast Showground Stadium
12 Saturday 8 Jun 7:10pm  Adelaide Adelaide Oval
13 Sunday 16 Jun 3:20pm  North Melbourne  Blundstone Arena
14 BYE    
15 Thursday 27 Jun 7:20pm  Essendon Marvel Stadium
16 Sunday 7 Jul 4:40pm Brisbane Showground Stadium
17 Sunday 14 Jul 1:10pm  Richmond MCG
18 Saturday 20 Jul 4:35pm Collingwood Showground Stadium
19 Saturday 27 Jul 7:10pm  Port Adelaide  Adelaide Oval
20 Saturday 3 Aug 2:10pm Sydney Showground Stadium
21 Friday 9 Aug 7:50pm Hawthorn Canberra Oval
22 Sunday 18 Aug 3:20pm  Western Bulldogs Showground Stadium
23 TBC Gold Coast Metricon Stadium

Games played on

Thursday: 1
Friday: 1
Saturday: 11
Sunday: 8

Teams played twice

Hawthorn, Richmond, Essendon, Sydney, Gold Coast

2019 Preview and premiership odds

Player departures and a slip backwards in 2018 are reflected in the Giants’ flag odds of $14, eighth in the competition despite top-six finishes in the past three years.

Is a feeling of ‘now or never’ being optimistic and is it more the case that the horse has already bolted?

There may be nothing new at GWS in 2019, but it’s hard to write off a side that boasts so many quality players, especially as the clock ticks on possible success.

For all the stars that have already left, it’s the questionable futures of those still there but coming out of contract that could set the fire under this group to achieve something now, while they still can. 

Don’t write off the Giants just yet, and if the list is looking fit and healthy come March then expect GWS to be at the pointy end from the outset. 

#Callan Ward GWS Giants

Mick Stirling