Tom Green made a big impression in his first season and enters 2021 ready to take on the competition. Photo: AFL MEDIA

It has been a dramatic 17 months for Greater Western Sydney who went from playing in a grand final in 2019 to missing the finals last year.

And after losing six senior players to other clubs in the off-season, the Giants head into the new season in an interesting phase of their quest for that elusive maiden flag.

There’s no doubt that filling the holes left by Jeremy Cameron, who has led their goalkicking each year since their entry into the AFL, Zac Williams and Heath Shaw in particular will be challenging.

There’s a popular school of thought that GWS’s premiership window has now been shut after a sustained period of going deep into the finals.

But according to the club’s head of development Luke Kelly, there are four youngsters in particular who might be able to ensure that the Giants remain a flag threat in 2021.

LACHLAN ASH
With Williams joining Carlton, and to a lesser extent Shaw being delisted, there are some big shoes to fill in defence, particularly on the half-back line.

However, after playing 12 games in his debut season last year, former No. 4 pick Ash already looks up for the challenge.

Like Williams and Lachie Whitfield, Ash is also more than capable of running through the midfield and Kelly is expecting him to step up and have a big impact this season.

“His ability to run and carry, and with these new rule changes relating to the man on the mark and the speed of the game, he’s a metres-gained player,” Kelly told Footyology.

“If it all comes together for him, he’s one that can have a real impact coming off that half-back line.

“Lachie came to us with a big tank so he’s just working away at his craft in terms of finishing and defensive stuff.”

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ISAAC CUMMING
But Williams was a super player, and given it might be a bit much to expect a second-year player like Ash to immediately cover that enormous loss, Kelly envisages Cumming to ease the burden and form an effective tandem act with Ash off the half-back line.

Cumming has been in the system for a while – this is his fifth season – but after only managing 10 games in that time, the former No.20 pick is primed to take on a much bigger role in the Giants’ team.

“Those two guys are really picking up, and if I was half-back with the rules, I’m getting pretty excited about getting some handball-receives,” Kelly said.

“But if you can kick, there’s a lot more room to kick through the corridor now so these two guys are taking it upon themselves to really drive us off the half-back line, so we’re excited to see what they can do.

“And it fits into the midfield flexibility about being able to go forward, these guys can probably slot themselves onto a wing as well and come off back.

“Isaac’s running has got better and better over time, he’s got some really aerial attributes, he’s able to come off and fly in the air as we’ve seen and he’s another one that can play tall or small as well which we love in modern defenders.”

TOM GREEN
It didn’t take long for the 2019 No. 10 draft pick to make the footy public sit up and take notice, as he collected his Rising Star nomination in just his second game against Collingwood, when he registered 18 touches (12 contested), a game-high seven clearances and a goal.

The youngster had to bide his time for a while after being dropped halfway through the season, but made a huge statement in his return game against Melbourne in round 17 when he collected a game-high 30 disposals and 21 contested possessions as well as four clearances.

Hopes are high at GWS that he will be able to slot straight into their star-studded midfield and Kelly didn’t discount the possibility of Green potentially ending up as the team’s best on-baller down the track.

“He returned this year and ran his best ‘2k-er’ [2km time trial] and he’s come back fitter,” Kelly said.

“Then you look at his impact around the contest. Well, now he’s going to get to more and more contests, so he’s really starting to drive in that midfield so he’s one of the main ones to take the next step.

“The balance of that midfield is key and you’ve got Tom Green and Jacob Hopper … they were forward runners and couldn’t quite see out games, you probably [used to] worry about them both being in there alongside other guys but really because they’re running so well and they’re able to cover the ground, you’re not too worried about them playing in the same midfield [anymore].”

CONNOR IDUN
The 20-year-old is another emerging talent who looks set to rejuvenate the Giants’ defence along with Ash and Cumming.

The former No. 61 pick is a key defender, and despite only having a little taste of the big time with three games to his credit, he is on track to provide meaningful support to the likes of Phil Davis, Sam Taylor and Nick Haynes on a more consistent basis in 2021.

“He’s been working away at his craft the last couple of years and he’s another one that’s come back in the best shape you can,” Kelly said.

“In terms of his running, he’s taking time off [his personal best]. That was probably his main problem was that we saw what he could do, but we only saw it for maybe three quarters or around that.”

Idun’s consistency throughout pre-season training has most enthused the Giants about his progress.

“He’s got a nice kick as a backman, his ability to read it in the air and come off his forward is really key but then he’s got stronger in his one-on-ones as well,” Kelly said.

“We used to see glimpses of it, we’d see 15 minutes of it consistently and then he might drop away, but at the moment we’re seeing it across 120 minutes of training.

“When you play in that last line of defence, as you saw in that Collingwood prelim [in 2019], you’ve got to be able to hold up for 120 minutes.

“He’s got all the attributes, he’s able to play tall or small, so I think that flexibility helps us as well.”