No Ceiling For GIANTS
Leon Cameron has tempered expectations of a rapid rise by Greater Western Sydney in 2015, saying his young GIANTS still have a number of challenges to overcome.
However, he believes his team should be ready for a maiden finals berth in 2016.
The GIANTS showed their first flashes of genuine improvement last season, winning four of their final 11 matches to reach six wins for the year.
They also pushed Hawthorn, Geelong, Essendon and Collingwood to within 15 points.
While the GWS coach wants more wins, he stopped short of saying his side would make a debut finals appearance next season.
"We only won six, and we need to better that," Cameron told AFL.com.au on Tuesday.
"We're a year older, we feel as though we've had a good trade period, we're rapt with the draft ... and I expect our third and fourth year players to make significant gains.
"Like anything, the other 17 sides are saying the same thing."
The GIANTS traded for Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs) and Joel Patfull (Brisbane Lions) to add some experience during the off-season, heightening external expectations of improvement.
They then added highly rated Jarrod Pickett and Paul Ahern among another bumper draft crop.
Last week, GWS chief Dave Matthews said the GIANTS could be in a position to push to play finals next year after such a fruitful off-season.
However, Cameron believes the season after next could be the year for a finals breakthrough.
"I'd be disappointed if we didn't make the finals in the next two years, and our players would be as well," Cameron said.
"I don't put a ceiling on any season.
"If we can make some significant ground in areas we need to - defensively and probably more contested ball - then who knows what can happen?
"For us to back up week-in, week-out is a big challenge, but one we think we can do next year."
Cameron hoped the improved back half of 2014 would flow into the start of next season.
"Belief is a big thing. I think they're starting to believe they belong," he said.
"They believe we can play against the really really good sides in the competition.
"They also see when we don't believe and we're not on, then we can get belted around the ears as well."
The GIANTS are on a week-long pre-season training camp at Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
After Tuesday's training session at Noosa's Main Beach, Cameron - a former Hawks assistant - was swamped by a number of interested onlookers.
A host of Hawthorn players – including former GIANT Jono O'Rourke, Jarryd Roughead, Luke Hodge and Josh Gibson – spotted the GIANTS coach and approached him for a chat.
The Hawks are also on a pre-season training camp, half-an-hour south at Mooloolaba, and headed north for a swim on their day off.