10 - Baz gets his Chance

Every week without fail Jake Barrett would knock on Leon Cameron’s office door for a chat. The country boy from Temora - a small town in the NSW Riverina, approximately 400km south-west of Sydney - was willing to do whatever it took to break into the GIANTS’ senior side. He was hungry for feedback and always looking for ways to improve his game. Not one to make a fuss or hog the limelight, the softly spoken 19-year-old joined the club in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft with pick 97 as a NSW-ACT priority zone selection. He battled away in the NEAFL while almost everyone around him got their opportunity first. Instead of breaking down, he worked harder, trained longer and eventually his moment arrived. It was the last round of the 2015 season against Melbourne and after months of consistent performances, Barrett was given the good news. It was finally time to make his senior debut. The hard-nosed midfielder was ready for the big stage and had developed a cult following for his relentless tackling pressure and ability to find the ball. Unfortunately the fairy tale didn’t quite go to plan with the GIANTS losing by 26 points. After starting as the substitute, Barrett had seven touches and three tackles but will be forever better for the experience. Goes to show hard work pays off for people willing to go that extra mile. 

9 - A Black and White Nightmare

The round 11 match against Collingwood will be one that forever haunts GIANTS fans. Just like the plot of a foreboding horror story, it started normally enough before things turned dark and dour. The GIANTS were sitting on seven wins and three losses and were firmly entrenched in the top eight. But that all changed on Sunday, June 14. With the prospect of finals on the horizon, expectations were high against one of the league’s biggest clubs. The Magpies jumped out the blocks and set the tone early, then things started to go very wrong. The first player to go down was co-captain Phil Davis who was subbed off at half-time with an ankle injury. With the key defender done for the day, the worst thing that could have happened was for another backline general to follow suit, but that’s exactly what happened. Friendly fire from teammate Matt Buntine left Joel Patfull with a punctured lung and broken ribs after the pair collided during a marking contest. Then it got worse. Midfielder Stephen Coniglio suffered an AC joint injury in the final term and joined his wounded comrades on the sideline. The bench was barren but there was one more twist to come in this horror story. Arguably the GIANTS’ most important player, ruckman Shane Mumford landed awkwardly on his ankle, ruling him out for both the rest of the game and ultimately the rest of the season. Some say the match derailed the GIANTS’ season, others say the injuries gave opportunities to others. Either way, it was a day to forget at the MCG.

8 - Rhys's Redemption

There’s not many things more embarrassing than running into an open goal and missing a sitter in front of the entire nation. Rhys Palmer knows this feeling (unfortunately) all too well, but he also knows the perfect way to respond to critics. It was round 20 against Port Adelaide in the hostile surroundings of Adelaide Oval. The GIANTS were unwelcome visitors in a Portress full of desperate Power supporters. But it was this bizarre first-quarter mishap that both clubs' fans will never forget. At the eight-minute mark the GIANTS looked set for a certain goal when Palmer found himself free inside forward-50. There wasn’t an opposition player in sight and Palmer casually strolled into goal. He bounced once. Success. He considered kicking from 15m out but decided to take one more bounce to put the shot beyond doubt. The second bounce wasn’t so successful. A fumble gave opposition speedster Matt White enough time to put pressure on Palmer who struggled to get boot to ball. It was deemed the mistake of the season, but what happened next shocked everyone. Instead of burying his head in the sand, Palmer responded proudly by running himself into the ground. The dangerous forward finished the match with a career-best haul of five goals and nearly singled handedly won the GIANTS the match. He stood up and showed great leadership after his initial mistake. Nobody is perfect, but the way Palmer responded is about as close as you can get.

7 - Ageing like a Fine Wine

When Heath Shaw joined the GIANTS at the end of the 2013 season he had a few critics. In fact, that’s putting it nicely. The premiership defender left Collingwood, the team he grew up supporting, to join the most inexperienced AFL club in the country. Some people thought the game had passed him by, others thought he would struggle to succeed in such a young backline. He proved them all wrong. After a relatively consistent season in 2014, Shaw took his game to another level. One of the most vocal leaders at the club, Shaw’s presence on the field cannot be understated or underestimated. The 29-year-old exploded in 2015, leading the competition in kicks, rebound-50s and bounces. He won his first Kevin Sheedy Medal, the award given to the GIANTS' Club Champion and, for the first time in his career, was named back pocket in the Virgin Australia All Australian team. An honour that justifies his decision to move clubs. He might be the jokester off the field, but out in the heat of battle there’s few players who command such respect from both teammates and opposition. Don’t be surprised if Shaw continues to improve, now many people say he can only get better with age.

6 - The Comeback Kings 

Trailing Melbourne by 27-points at half time in round 2, it looked like the GIANTS were set for a disappointing afternoon at StarTrack Oval in Canberra. The Demons jumped out the blocks and held their hosts goalless until just before the main break. The GIANTS were stunned. So was the crowd. It wasn’t how this game was meant to pan out. After a surprisingly calm address from coach Leon Cameron in the rooms, the GIANTS flicked a switch and produced their best ever half of football. Piling on nine goals to none in the third term, it was blatantly obvious the momentum had changed. Key forward Cam McCarthy and Dylan Shiel had three goals each, while Stephen Coniglio (26 disposals) and Devon Smith collected two apiece. Jeremy Cameron was kicking goals from all angles while Shane Mumford also nabbed a major in arguably his best performance for the club. In total the GIANTS strung together a run of 13 straight goals before the Demons finally answered. By then it was all too late. The home side ran out 45-point winners and learned from their slow start. It was a just reward for the GIANTS' Canberra contingent who hadn't seen their side win in the nation's capital since their inaugural victory in 2012. The win set the tone for the following two months and proves how dangerous the GIANTS can be when they hit their straps.

5 - Double Debutants

After three seasons where it was more common for the GIANTS to have a debutant than not, in 2015 the GIANTS were the last team to blood a youngster. All eyes (and many Fantasy players’ hopes) had been on Canberra-boy Jack Steele who was tearing up the NEAFL. Injuries to Stephen Coniglio, Shane Mumford, Phil Davis and Joel Patfull on a dark day against Collingwood opened the door for not one, but two debutants against North Melbourne in round 12. 19-year-old Steele and 18-year-old defender Caleb Marchbank got their chance after being told they would debut by coach Leon Cameron in front of the playing group in a memorable GIANTS TV video. Steele played seven games for the year including a 20-possession performance against St Kilda where he also kicked his first AFL goal. Marchbank played two games before heading back to NEAFL but fought his way back into the senior side with his strong defensive form and finished the year with five AFL games to his name.

4 - Jezza the Magnificent

It’s one of the greatest goals that never was. In an audacious effort few AFL players would even attempt, as a ball came in long to the square, star forward Jeremy Cameron launched himself backwards to collect the ball with his left foot and send it towards goals, just narrowly missing the middle. “That would have been goal of the season, that might have been the goal of the century,” the commentators cried. “It was just one of those things, the moment arose and I went for it,” the forward said. Cameron, who had a career-best season in 2015, kicked four goals and six behinds in that ANZAC Day match against the Gold Coast Suns in Canberra. With the behind making headlines across the footy world and the video racking up huge hits on social media and the GIANTS website, just imagine if it had been a goal.

3 - The General Returns

It was one of the most anticipated returns of the season as Jonny Patton diligently completed his rehabilitation from a second knee reconstruction. After first tearing the ACL in his right knee in 2013, the former number on pick came back bigger and stronger than before in 2014, missing just one game for the year before hurting his knee again in round 21. Committed to his rehab, Patton spent his off-season at the club and saw a specialist in the United States before he was cleared for full training at the end of April. Taking a cautious approach, the big key forward came back through the NEAFL in round 14 and played four matches. averaging four goals per match. Patton finally made his return to AFL against Essendon in round 19 and celebrated with a win. He played the following two matches before being rested for the remainder of the season.

2 - More than a Game 

It was one of the most poignant moments of the 2015 season. After Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh was tragically killed ahead of round 14, players from all teams linked arms around the centre circle following each of the remaining matches. This match was an important one for the GIANTS as they travelled to the MCG to take on Richmond with key players Shane Mumford, Phil Davis and Joel Patfull taking no part after suffering long-term injuries in the weeks before. It was a huge test for the young team that had never won a game without Shane Mumford since he arrived at the club. They were also without their co-captain and their two most experienced key defenders. It was a valiant effort by the GIANTS who refused to lie down and were defeated by just nine points in a low-scoring and high tension clash. But once the final siren sounded, the players were one as Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt spoke to the group and reminded them to tell their friends and family they loved them. The home of football was silent as the players and coached paid a special tribute to a man taken too soon.

1 - History in the Making

It’s arguably the most significant win in the club’s short history and certainly the most memorable moment of the 2015 season. While the defeat of cross-town rival the Swans was epic in 2014, the GIANTS announced themselves to the rest of the AFL competition when they took on the two-time reigning Premiers at Spotless Stadium in round 6. The Daily Telegraph wrote: “It wasn’t just the win but the manner in which they did it. The Hawks looked winners at three different times - when they led by 27 points early in the second quarter, when they kicked the first three goals of the third term and again in the final team when Billy Hartung’s dash through the middle put them 15 points up. In the past the GIANTS would not have been unable to respond to the challenge from such a quality team but on Saturday night they did.” The GIANTS over-ran the Hawks to record a 10-point win with star forward Jeremy Cameron kicking seven goals and co-captain Callan Ward, Ryan Griffen and 50-gamer Stephen Coniglio leading the midfield charge.