GREATER Western Sydney’s hopes of a fourth straight win over Geelong have received a double boost with Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan joining 250 gamer Lachie Whitfield as big name inclusions.
Hogan, who kicked seven goals in the win over the Cats in round nine, looked unbothered at training after being given an extra week’s rest to recover from both a foot issue and illness, with his return confirmed by coach Adam Kingsley ahead of the blockbuster showdown at Engie Stadium on Saturday.
Gun forward Brent Daniels is unlikely to return until the last couple weeks of the season at best, while Stephen Coniglio will be given at least another week in the VFL to press his claims for a recall but there is optimism around Jack Buckley’s place in the team after being subbed out against West Coast with a sprained ankle.
“He did a session prior to training and ticked the boxes he needed to tick off so we’ll give him every chance to get up. It’s looking pretty positive at the moment but he’s still got to progress tomorrow,” Kingsley said.
Buckley’s pending fitness watch is all the more important amid the absence of his key defensive partner Sam Taylor, however the All-Australian defender is ahead of schedule in his return from a toe problem and is now on track to return next week to take on Essendon in their Thursday night encounter at Marvel Stadium.
Taylor’s injury has afforded Leek Aleer the chance for extra responsibility down back despite the uncertainty over his future at the Giants. The 23-year-old is in the final year of his contract as speculation rumbles on of an off-season move to St.Kilda.
Leek Aleer clears the ball during the match between West Coast and Greater Western Sydney at Optus Stadium in round 17, 2025. Picture: Getty Images
Fellow first round draft pick Xavier O’Halloran is in a similar boat as an unsigned player for next season and is coming off his best statistical game for the Giants with 27 touches and two goals in the win over the Eagles, while improving forward Callum Brown’s deal also runs out at season’s end as he averages two goals a game over the last seven weeks.
“Jason McCartney (GWS footy manager) takes care of their future. He’s working with their managers to try and lock them all away,” Kingsley said.
“All those boys have been playing really well, they’re off contract, they’re all important parts of our team so we’d love them to stay but as we know that doesn’t always happen.”
Lifting for milestone games in recent times for Greater Western Sydney has been a pattern, in particular against Geelong, with the Giants prevailing in both Toby Greene’s 200th game in 2023 and Tom Green’s 100th at GMHBA Stadium earlier this year.
They’ll be hoping for much of the same on Whitfield’s big day as he joins Greene and Callan Ward as only the third player to reach the 250 game milestone for the Giants.
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“He’s quite an intelligent player, he’s really easy to coach and sees the game really well, ” Kingsley said of Whitfield.
“He’s quite involved in coaching situations and is able to instruct his teammates out on the field really well.
“The one thing that surprised me coming here is how hard and tough he is as a half-back. He had the perception as more of an outside player with the beautiful skills and the run and carry but there’s not too many who are as tough as him in the contest.
“It’s a great milestone, he’s been a fantastic player for this footy club for a long period of time and we’ll be keen to put on a good performance for him.”
Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield and Toby Greene pose for a photo. Picture: Phil Hillyard
The Giants record against Cats is superb in recent times with six wins in their last eight outings to go with a startling five straight victories against them away from home.
“They’re a high quality team obviously in great form. It’s going to be a really big challenge for us,” Kingsley said.
“We’ve played well down there, yes, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to up here. The principles remain the same, we’ve got to put them under pressure, that’s where it starts.”
A major factor in the Giants’ favour at home in recent times is their remarkable accuracy in kicking for goal, with GWS possessing a better than 50 per cent accuracy record at home over the last four seasons and a 16 per cent better record than their opposition at Engie Stadium this season.
