Analysis 2025 GWS Giants - Predicted best 22, breakout player(s), general player/team discussion & questions

[GWS Goose]

XOH getting heat feels unfair .
Won a lot of contests, Tackled hard and kicked 2 goals.
He is not there for silky ball use, but was still part of a lot of dangerous chains .

Edited as I left out the word not totally changing what I meant. He is NOT going to be hitting blokes lace out like Kelly, but does what he does well.

 

[dlanod]

XOH getting heat feels unfair .
Won a lot of contests, Tackled hard and kicked 2 goals.
He is there for silky ball use, but was still part of a lot of dangerous chains .

Yeah I'm definitely not his biggest fan, but I can't see how you can drop him after that performance. A solid day out overall by him.

 

[Giant Pete]

XOH getting heat feels unfair .
Won a lot of contests, Tackled hard and kicked 2 goals.
He is there for silky ball use, but was still part of a lot of dangerous chains .

I love his intent and his physicality. Works his arse off for the team.

 

[BarryAglett]

Yeah I'm definitely not his biggest fan, but I can't see how you can drop him after that performance. A solid day out overall by him.

I think we will always get good XO and bad XO within seconds of each other.
But if we want to play this pressure style, we'll have to accept that's what he is.
His 2nd and 3rd efforts are impressive.
He seems popular with the other players.

 

[Giant Strides]

I'm in agreement with the preceding posters. I was a big fan of him in the U18s, and will admit that he just hasn't come on exactly as I would have hoped, in terms of "precision skills". But he certainly brings effort, and can find the sticks. He'll just be someone who's in that bottom 6 players - but can play well, and when he clicks in the system we have, it helps us win.

I thought he had a solid game against the Pies.

 

[Giant Strides]

Interesting article this - partly reflective on Jake Stringer, potentially reflective on Esseendon's training standards.

Cornes: Are Bombers under-training or has Stringer not committed?

The brutal intensity of Giants training has sparked debate over Essendon and Stringer.

www.sen.com.au

Are training standards at Essendon an issue or has Jake Stringer never fully committed to what it takes to be a professional football player? It's a question being asked by Kane Cornes following revelations about how much Stringer struggled with the intensity of training at the Giants.

The 30-year-old was handed a brutal reality check after leaving the Bombers during the 2024 trade period, with Giants coach Adam Kingsley making it clear to his newest recruit that he needed to adapt. According to Cornes, Stringer’s skinfold measurements signalled a need for change and by the end of the Christmas break, the star was measuring almost a centimetre down.

The drastic change under two club’s differing training regimes prompted Cornes to question whether Stringer’s form was down to a subpar level of intensity at Essendon or signs that the player has never quite taken things as seriously as he should.

 

[PaythePerryman]

Stone showed enough which is great. I think he's the kind of guy who just needs a bit of confidence to get the most out of his talent.

Wonder what our wings look like by the end of year. Cogs and Ward out there currently.
Could see Angove getting a spot.

XO was brutal with his physicality. Brown dropped 3 sitters while playing tall. Still beating defenders with pace. Enigmatic but effective.

Keeffe showed up and competed. Well done

 

[Orange Agent]

XOH getting heat feels unfair .
Won a lot of contests, Tackled hard and kicked 2 goals.
He is not there for silky ball use, but was still part of a lot of dangerous chains .

Edited as I left out the word not totally changing what I meant. He is NOT going to be hitting blokes lace out like Kelly, but does what he does well.

I'm in this camp. I like what he brings to the side and it actually suits our style. He did more than enough to keep his spot.

 

[GWS Goose]

Stone showed enough which is great. I think he's the kind of guy who just needs a bit of confidence to get the most out of his talent.

Wonder what our wings look like by the end of year. Cogs and Ward out there currently.
Could see Angove getting a spot.

XO was brutal with his physicality. Brown dropped 3 sitters while playing tall. Still beating defenders with pace. Enigmatic but effective.

Keeffe showed up and competed. Well done

Stone was fantastic.
He had some really penetrating kicks. His run and carry was good. Defended well.
What caught my eye was how hard he worked off the ball.
Looked every bit the first round selection he is

 

[Giant Gutsache]

Stone was fantastic.
He had some really penetrating kicks. His run and carry was good. Defended well.
What caught my eye was how hard he worked off the ball.
Looked every bit the first round selection he is

Agree.
I’ve been a doubter, but he’s found some poise and the confidence to take the game on.
Good on him.

 

[Adam Giant]

Stone was fantastic.
He had some really penetrating kicks. His run and carry was good. Defended well.
What caught my eye was how hard he worked off the ball.
Looked every bit the first round selection he is

To the naked eye he looks very similar in size and shape to Perryman. I think he'll do a good job as that medium-sized defender, strong enough to lock down on a good opponent, but athletic and skilful enough to rebound and cause damage.

 

[PaythePerryman]

To the naked eye he looks very similar in size and shape to Perryman. I think he'll do a good job as that medium-sized defender, strong enough to lock down on a good opponent, but athletic and skilful enough to rebound and cause damage.

Much quicker. Great size. Maybe doesn't have the smarts or composure just yet. But still young. Just need to build that confidence up. Role clarity will help

 

[selkie]

Stone was fantastic.
He had some really penetrating kicks. His run and carry was good. Defended well.
What caught my eye was how hard he worked off the ball.
Looked every bit the first round selection he is

Yes I take it all back - so much better than what he showed in pre-season games

 

[azza77]

To the naked eye he looks very similar in size and shape to Perryman. I think he'll do a good job as that medium-sized defender, strong enough to lock down on a good opponent, but athletic and skilful enough to rebound and cause damage.

That almost blind kick he did I think it was in the 3rd, or maybe 4th (GWS kicking to right of screen), where you guys were working it out of congestion, and someone handballed it to Stone, who just instantly launched a 50m switch kick to the fat side flank.

You just cant teach that sort of thing.

 

[BarryAglett]

That almost blind kick he did I think it was in the 3rd, or maybe 4th (GWS kicking to right of screen), where you guys were working it out of congestion, and someone handballed it to Stone, who just instantly launched a 50m switch kick to the fat side flank.

You just cant teach that sort of thing.

Yes, 3rd qtr he hit up (I believe) Ward on the chest with a flat-ish kick over a couple of C'wood players.
Opened up the ground instantly.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Whilst yesterday’s goal showed how Keeffe can rise to a high pressure situation, Kingsley’s comments show why Keeffe is regarded in high regard by the coaching staff.

"How many in his draft class are still playing? A handful? So there's a few things. The character of the person. He's a great teammate. He's a great club man. He's incredibly intelligent both on and off the field.

He's like having an extra coach. The way that he helps and supports the coaching of the players, particularly the young guys, he's as good as it gets.

"He's versatile. He's played key back on Tom Hawkins. He's played key forward in big finals. He's rucked.

"Those sort of guys, they're the people that everyone loves within footy clubs. People talk about salt of the earth people, and he certainly slides into that category.

Giant hero: GWS coach on why versatile tall remains on list

"He's super important for us, whether he's playing or not."

www.zerohanger.com

 

[Jeremias]

Haven’t watched your game on the weekend - how has Cogs looked this season?

Think he’s well past his best but is he a lock in the side? What’s his role?

Very fantasy related question, but also cheering on the Giants to go all the way this year if my mob can’t get their shit together.

 

[PaythePerryman]

Haven’t watched your game on the weekend - how has Cogs looked this season?

Think he’s well past his best but is he a lock in the side? What’s his role?

Very fantasy related question, but also cheering on the Giants to go all the way this year if my mob can’t get their shit together.

Heya dude. He played wing last weekend and small/mid forward this weekend.

Listening to Kingers in the post match they are moving him about while he continues to recover from face and shoulder surgery during the off season. He still sees him as an inside mid apparently.

Fantasy wise I wouldn't touch him. He's not in centre bounces at all with Kelly, Callaghan, Bedford and Green in there. When they mix it up it's Toby and Daniels heading in.

If there's some injuries he might move in later in the season. Not worth it.

 

[Jeremias]

Heya dude. He played wing last weekend and small/mid forward this weekend.

Listening to Kingers in the post match they are moving him about while he continues to recover from face and shoulder surgery during the off season. He still sees him as an inside mid apparently.

Fantasy wise I wouldn't touch him. He's not in centre bounces at all with Kelly, Callaghan, Bedford and Green in there. When they mix it up it's Toby and Daniels heading in.

If there's some injuries he might move in later in the season. Not worth it.

Thanks, appreciate the response.

For context, I’m talking about keeper/dynasty league rather than single season.

Single season is absolutely agree with you.

If he plays forward enough over the next few weeks he may gain forward eligibility, which could prove very handy if they do indeed see him as an inside mid.

Hmm…much to ponder!

 

[GWS Goose]

Haven’t watched your game on the weekend - how has Cogs looked this season?

Think he’s well past his best but is he a lock in the side? What’s his role?

Very fantasy related question, but also cheering on the Giants to go all the way this year if my mob can’t get their shit together.

Ive said this a few times on here, I think that reports of Cogs being past his best may be premature.
He was second in the BNF and AA 40 in 2023 and led our BNF at the point he was injured last year.
He battled on carrying injuries last year, but dont think that he is done.

On the weekend he kicked 3 goals and had 6 score involvements, 2 of the 3 goals were very good goals that not many would have been able to do. Playing on the outside at the moment, but will move into the middle soon enough as per Kingers post match interview

 

[Colonial]

Cogs ain’t done.

 

[Orange crush]

Cogs ain’t done.

He’s just a bit underdone due to the surgeries

 

[Adam Giant]

It's no coincidence that Coniglio and Ward had key touches in that last minute goal against Melbourne. Callaghan got the credit for his hard ball get, but the handball under pressure from Coniglio to Ward was excellent too. Old heads provide that composure under pressure so both have a significant role to play this year if we're going to contend.

That said, I'm not convinced we'll see Coniglio playing big minutes as a pure midfielder. He'll spend some time there for sure, but the combination of Callaghan, Kelly, Green and Bedford (tagging) seems to be our strongest.

 

[Giant Strides]

OK folks, this is a must read. If you don't have access to SMH, find a way behind the paywall to read the whole story. Hint: the really interesting part is not Finn Callaghan knocking back $18m & a $1m home load from Saints.

Why this young superstar knocked back $18 million and a home loan

He signed with GWS on the eve of the season for $4.5 million over four years, which will take him to the eve of the 2030 season when he becomes a free agent.

www.smh.com.au

Finn Callaghan’s decision to knock back a fortune and back himself – and the AFL’s youngest and smallest club – was secured after coach Adam Kingsley delivered the 21-year-old a detailed picture of the club’s efforts over the off-season to complete the final piece of the premiership puzzle.

It was all about leadership. And decision-making in key moments. Kingsley and his team had already picked up some worrying signs before the Giants’ disastrous straight-sets finals exit last year and decided to invest some hard-fought soft cap gains into shifting the on-field mindset of their leadership group.

Callaghan signed with GWS on the eve of the season for $4.5 million over four years, which takes him to the eve of the 2030 season when he becomes a free agent.

The Giants’ presentation to Callaghan on the eve of the season was not about money but the program they had introduced over the late spring and summer of 2024-25. For the first time in football boss Jason McCartney’s time, the Giants employed an outsider – a leadership coach who had worked with McCartney in the past but was not well known in football circles.

 

[Orange crush]

OK folks, this is a must read. If you don't have access to SMH, find a way behind the paywall to read the whole story. Hint: the really interesting part is not Finn Callaghan knocking back $18m & a $1m home load from Saints.

Why this young superstar knocked back $18 million and a home loan

He signed with GWS on the eve of the season for $4.5 million over four years, which will take him to the eve of the 2030 season when he becomes a free agent.

www.smh.com.au

Finn Callaghan’s decision to knock back a fortune and back himself – and the AFL’s youngest and smallest club – was secured after coach Adam Kingsley delivered the 21-year-old a detailed picture of the club’s efforts over the off-season to complete the final piece of the premiership puzzle.

It was all about leadership. And decision-making in key moments. Kingsley and his team had already picked up some worrying signs before the Giants’ disastrous straight-sets finals exit last year and decided to invest some hard-fought soft cap gains into shifting the on-field mindset of their leadership group.

Callaghan signed with GWS on the eve of the season for $4.5 million over four years, which takes him to the eve of the 2030 season when he becomes a free agent.

The Giants’ presentation to Callaghan on the eve of the season was not about money but the program they had introduced over the late spring and summer of 2024-25. For the first time in football boss Jason McCartney’s time, the Giants employed an outsider – a leadership coach who had worked with McCartney in the past but was not well known in football circles.

Who was the coach?