If Greater Western Sydney continue their rich form and end up playing finals in 2015, they might consider their lowest point this season the catalyst for achieving the unexpected.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Giants enter their game against Adelaide on Saturday high on confidence and riding momentum after putting themselves among the competition's elite after seven rounds.
Yet, their month began by being thumped by West Coast, a fact that coach Leon Cameron seems adamant about keeping in his players' minds as a lesson in why they have to maintain their peak standards every outing.
Cameron said after training on Wednesday that if GWS "didn't make some serious ground in terms of our competitiveness [this season], then there are some issues. We would be disappointed to not make some ground this year". However, he added: "But it's like anything, when we take the foot off the pedal, we get beaten by anyone. It's a friendly reminder, 18 or 19 days ago we got belted by the West Coast Eagles."
The Giants had a sorry record against the Eagles but fancied their chances after toppling St Kilda, Melbourne, Gold Coast and getting within 21 points of the Swans. Yet, they were smashed by 87 points. The loss not only stung the players but was hung up as a notice for what happens when effort drops off. The players responded by beating premiers Hawthorn, rated their best ever win, and then hammering Carlton last round.
"If our effort's there, which it was against Hawthorn - we addressed it throughout the week [after] West Coast. It was disappointing and we knew we weren't a team like that anymore," midfielder Adam Treloar said.
"It was going to be a massive challenge for us against Hawthorn but if our effort was there we knew that we'd come away with the four points. Same thing last week against Carlton. Nothing changed, our mindset was the same and it's going to be the same this week. If our effort's there and our defensive pressure's there, it's going to take care of itself."
The assignment for the Giants on Saturday is similar to that against West Coast. They go in with their tails up against a side that has given them a hiding in every previous meeting. The Crows have beaten GWS by an average of 87 points.
"They've beaten us five times," Cameron said. "In saying that, the first couple of years we all know where we were at in terms of the age of the list and how competitive we were.
"We're five and two, they're five and two [this season], we feel as though it's a 50-50 game the way we're playing. Anything's possible in this competition … we were beaten by 15 goals 18 or 19 days ago. We're improving but we've got a long way to go."
Cameron said the club would "find out some answers on Saturday". One might be to what extent that loss to the Eagles set them on the right course.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for us to play against a really good quality side this weekend," he said. "We're going to walk away knowing [whether we've] taken another step. Where did we improve? Did we match them in this area? Were we good enough in this area?"
An injury cloud still hangs over defender Phil Davis, who is rated a 50 per cent chance of playing after missing last round with a corked leg. Midfielder Ryan Griffen should be fine to play despite copping some heavy knocks in the past two rounds and finishing training on Wednesday bloodied after a knock to the head.
