The premiership lesson GWS young gun learned from Lions
Joanna Guelas |
Rising star Darcy Jones is drawing inspiration from reigning premiers Brisbane as GWS look to end their early-season form slump with a derby win.
The Giants are 4-3 and risk damaging their top-four ambitions if they again give up bragging rights to Sydney at the SCG on Sunday.
While Jones admits back-to-back defeats have sent his sixth-placed side slightly spiralling, the small forward says pointing to Brisbane’s run to the 2024 AFL flag has helped them refocus.
The Lions were 13th (2-5) heading into round eight last year and only made it into the top eight in round 16 after overcoming a spate of injuries.
“It’s not the end of the world – in our minds, that’s probably what we’re thinking, so we just need to stay positive,” Jones told AAP.
“I look back at Brisbane last year – they were not in a very good stage this time of year, and they ended up winning the grand final.
“We’re all very pumped (to play Sydney). I said as soon as I got on the bus in Canberra after the Bulldogs game … ‘Oh, jeez, I cannot wait for this game this weekend. I just want to win so bad’.
“And what better game to win than against the Swans? We’ll be ready to get one on the board again.”
Sydney defender Lewis Melican says it’s the same story across the city, with last year’s beaten grand finalists also bent on resuscitating their season.
The Swans, under new coach Dean Cox, are 14th (2-5) and on a three-game losing streak.
Sydney at least have recent derby history on their side, having won their past four meetings with GWS.
“As much as it is a long season, we’ll reach a stage where it might be too far to come back from, so we’ve got to start playing the footy we want to play soon,” Melican told AAP.
“I wouldn’t really say there’s much of a grace period (adjusting under Cox). We’re all on the same page, that we just want to start to get going.
“We just need to really knuckle down because he’s (Cox) had a pretty clear mindset that he wants to be a defence-first team.
“At the moment, we probably haven’t been able to do that the way we want to and the scoreboard’s been showing it.”
Cox has swung the axe, dropping forward Tom Hanily and back-up ruck Peter Ladhams, while defender Ben Paton is out with a calf injury.
Fellow defender Sam Wicks returns from his own calf injury, alongside midfielder Angus Sheldrick and defender Joel Hamling.
GWS have also made three changes, with Jake Riccardi (hand), Josh Kelly (hip) and Conor Stone (omitted) out of the side.
Giants rookie and Western Sydney local Josaia Delana will make his AFL debut, joined by fellow forward Callum Brown and defender Joe Fonti.
AAP
