GIANTS co-captain Phil Davis says Lachie Whitfield and Callan Ward should be firmly in All Australian conversations come the end of the season.
Davis put forward his case on the latest episode of the skipper’s weekly podcast, The Footy Phil.
The defender endorsed West Coast captain Shannon Hurn for All Australian skipper and then turned his predictions closer to home with a few new names in contention, according to the GIANTS leader.
“Lachie Whitfield’s been outstanding,” Davis said. “Talk about flexibility and ability to change and be adaptable.
“We really want him on the wing, even half-forward, but we have a few injuries with Zac (Williams) and a couple of other things - Tom Scully going down - so we’ve had to move and shake a few pieces, so he gets on the half-back flank and I think he’s only played one or two average games.
“He’s doing an outstanding job and for me he’s been terrific and definitely in the conversation as the best running half-back. His work rate is just crazy, and he takes on the best players, it’s unbelievable to watch what he actually does.”
Whitfield has played every game this season, averaging more than 26 touches off half-back - a position he’d never played until Williams’ injury.
Davis also kept his fellow skipper happy, nominating Ward’s 2018 season as one of his best.
“His last month in particular has been second-to-none,” he said.
“You talk to all players and they say how much they love watching ‘Wardy’ play. His first 10 weeks were super consistent but his last month has been the cherry on the top.
“What he does is just outstanding and it’s important to recognise that.”
Ward has also played every game, averaging almost 27 touches and four tackles a game with hauls of 32, 28 and 32 touches over his past three games.
Davis should also have his own name in contention, with the star defender having one of the best seasons of his 10-year-career.
In other topics, the skipper re-capped Saturday night’s win over the Tigers and the feeling in the rooms post-match.
“I really enjoyed that game, it was a lot of fun; just good fun,” he said.
“For me personally, I had a greater sense of relief after the game than pure excitement. It was a hard game, I was exhausted, we really needed to bounce back … Sometimes you’re excited when you win but for me it was a deep sense of satisfaction and relief.
“For us it was a really important step and it was really satisfying.”
Other topics on the Footy Phil agenda for the week included Sam Taylor’s Rising Star nomination, Nic Nat’s injury, whether Max Gawn can win the Brownlow Medal and how World Cup fever has hit GIANTS HQ.
