Leon Cameron’s resignation as the coach offers the Giants an opportunity to refresh more than just the coach.
Mark McVeigh will serve as the caretaker, with his former Essendon friends James Hird and Dean Solomon joining him in the box, but so much more remains to be done.
Starting with Toby Greene.
Of course, we’ve had the discussion before that Greene would play more time in midfield, but Greater Western Sydney will be better and more effective with him there.
That doesn’t mean he has to be a full-time onballer – in fact, I’d be happy with a 60-40, Jordan De Goey-esque midfield striker.
Camera IconToby Greene could solve several of the Giants’ midfield problems. Phil Hillyard Credit: Included
It’s the kind of role that the best players fill: Dustin Martin, Christian Petracca, and to some extent, even Marcus Bontempelli.
Why be content with Greene touching the Sherrin 15 times per game when the number can be nearly double?
There was a period in the second half of the Giants’ 2019 grand finale season after Stephen Coniglio fell with a knee injury when the 28-year-old proved just how damaging he could be as a midfielder.
In nine games, including three finals, Greene scored an average of 29 disposals, 13 contested possessions, and five clearances while still achieving 12 goals.
His creativity, brilliance, ball-winning ability, leadership, and mongrel in the middle would make up for what GWS would lose on the attack.
Camera IconToby Greene and the Giants have had a rough start to the 2022 season. Phil Hillyard Credit: Delivered
What’s the saying? Who dares win. Be bold, Mark – take your chance.
A novice center-bounce combination of Greene, Josh Kelly, and Tom Greene, with Tim Taranto as a fourth fiddle when his co-captain steps forward, is capable of competing with any midfield in the AFL.
I would also like to see Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash sent back behind the ball to release the shackles.
Whitfield changes the angles with his spades, and Ash’s overlapping run is incredibly valuable.
Cameron said it himself: The Giants have become “boring”. They are so fixated on trying to play perfect football that they have become stagnant, mechanical, and sterile with their ball movements.
I want to see some chaos. I want to see the Orange Tsunami again.
The problem with GWS this season is that the strengths are not as prominent, and the weaknesses are more obvious. That’s a terrible combination.
The only area the Giants haven’t slipped into is the differential.
They have fallen from one of the top four clubs at a standstill last year to a bottom-half position in the league. That is devastating, and the midfield coach, McVeigh, has to bear some of that.
Greene may not solve everything, but it would be a good start.
As anyone watching the modern game knows, these days, it’s all about turnovers – forcing them and then scoring.
I have criticized GWS for not embracing this enough under Cameron, and that just has to change. The Giants were in 14th place for sales scores last season and 16th this year.
What makes it worse is that the opposition is burning them down on sales more than ever.
There’s a lot McVeigh has to solve, which isn’t surprising for a team with two wins from nine games, but playing it safe isn’t the answer.