With the 2024 season just over a week away, GIANTS Media is breaking down each area of the ground and assessing how the squad is placed.

The coach: Brent Chapman

New to the club in season 2024, Chapman joins the GIANTS as the AFLW side’s new backline coach. Hailing from Shepparton, Chapman endured a stellar playing and coaching career across several leagues in Victoria, kicking almost 800 goals across 387 senior games. Recently moving to Sydney, Chapman is a school teacher by trade who will bring a wealth of knowledge and education to the GIANTS this season. Chapman has also spent the past year as the backline coach for the GIANTS’ VFL side.

Ins:  

Isabel Huntington – Joining the club in mid-2022 for a fresh start after some injury setbacks at the ‘Dogs, Huntington will swap a role up forward for a spot in the GIANTS backline in season 2024. With eight games to her name as a GIANT, Huntington will be looking to continue to return to the form shown with the Bulldogs which earned her All-Australian honours in 2020 as well as the club’s Best and Fairest and Rising Star awards. Chapman said her ability to both play as a key back and shut down smaller players would make her a valuable asset this season.

Caitlin Miller - The club’s first pick in the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft, and eighth overall pick, Miller played five games as forward in her debut season last year but has found a new home across half-back this year. The talented Queenslander has adapted to her new role seamlessly said Chapman, who pointed to her ability to compete both in the air and on the ground, as well as her skills by foot as strengths.

Emily Pease – One of the club’s most reliable and versatile players, Pease will spend more time down back this season as she combines time in defence with stints on the wing. The club’s Rising Star winner back in 2022, Pease has established herself as a key contributor in a variety of roles across the past three seasons. Chapman said Pease’s attack on the ball, her run out of the backline, and her competitive nature would be huge weapons this season.

Jemma Ramsdale – Ramsdale joined the GIANTS as a replacement player on the eve of the 2024 AFLW season following the unfortunate ACL injury to Daisy Walker. Originally overlooked in the 2023 AFLW draft, Ramsdale went on play 13 of 14 games for Collingwood in an impressive 2024 VFLW campaign to earn herself a spot in the GIANTS’ backline this season. Her ability to read the play and her strength in one-on-one contests have stood out to Chapman in her short time with the club.

03:50

Ramsdale "To have this opportunity means the world to me."

Hear from GIANTS recruit Jemma Ramsdale as she settles in to her new environment.

Daisy Walker – Hailing from Victoria, Walker joined the GIANTS at the conclusion of the 2023 season as a delisted free agent after four seasons in navy blue. With 31 AFLW games to her name at just 21 years of age, Walker has proven to be a reliable utility in several roles since being taken with pick 28 in the 2020 AFLW Draft. Walker will unfortunately miss the 2024 season after rupturing her ACL in the pre-season.

Outs: 

Jasmine Grierson – A versatile utility capable of playing across all three lines, Grierson has made the move to the GIANTS’ forward line for season 2024. Joining the club ahead of season six in 2022, Grierson’s ability to play anywhere on the ground is a great tool for the side.

Jodie Hicks – Capable of playing at either end of the ground, Hicks played 40 games across two separate stints for the GIANTS before being traded to the Tigers in last year’s trade period.

Grace Hill – Originally joining the GIANTS as a replacement player, Hill played six games in 2023 but was not offered a contract at season’s end. Hill has since joined the Melbourne Demons as a replacement play for the 2024 NAB AFLW season.

Isadora McLeay – A medium defender who joined the GIANTS as a replacement player ahead of season six in 2022, McLeay spent three seasons at the club but was not offered a contract at the conclusion of last season.

Unchanged 

Chloe Dalton - A three-code athlete with an Olympic gold medal to her name, Dalton signed with the GIANTS in 2022 but a tough run with injury saw her play just six games across her first two seasons. Fully fit and firing in 2023, Dalton starred in a role across half-back to finish seventh in the Gabrielle Trainor Medal. Dalton didn’t play in either of the club’s pre-season matches as she manages an ongoing back injury.

Tarni Evans – Cementing herself as one of the competition’s best defenders and a young star of the competition, Evans has quickly risen amongst the GIANTS’ ranks to be one of the side’s most important players. Hailing fharom Tathra on the NSW South Coast, Evans’ run out of defence and her composure with the ball are two major weapons for the GIANTS’ backline. Chapman said he expects Evans to continue to establish herself as one of the superstars of the AFLW this season.

Cambridge McCormick – Previously spending time down back and in the ruck, McCormick has cemented a permanent role off half-back in 2024 where her run and dare have been highlights across the pre-season. Labelled one of the big improvers ahead of the season, Chapman is excited about the attacking flair and penetration that McCormick will provide the GIANTS backline this season.

Pepa Randall - A super reliable GIANT since joining the club in 2017, Randall will again be relied upon to quell the opposition’s best key forward in season 2024. Celebrating 50 AFLW games last season, Randall’s experience and her strong defensive abilities will be crucial to the GIANTS’ backline this season. Chapman said Randall’s loves for the contest and her never say die attitude were huge assets, while revealing she’s worked hard on the attacking side of her game.

Katherine Smith – Joining the GIANTS ahead of the 2021 season following three years at Melbourne, Smith has established herself as one of the club’s most reliable players and will enter season 2024 with the new title of vice-captain. A tough and courageous defender, Smith’s ability to read the play and her desire to never be beaten will lead the way for the GIANTS’ backline said Chapman.

State of Play  

With four new additions, the GIANTS’ backline possesses a great mix of experience and youth for the 2024 season. Led by experienced leaders Katherine Smith and Pepa Randall, the GIANTS are hoping their backline can be a real strength of the side this season. Some key focuses for this year’s defensive unit are improving their ability to win one-on-one contests, improving their communication and sticking to their structures, and turning defence into attack.

More of the Same Please  

Katherine Smith – Already firmly established as a key cog in the GIANTS’ side, Chapman is excited about what Smith can produce this season in her new role as vice-captain. A great one-on-one player with a never say die attitude, Smith gives great direction to her teammates and is someone who creates a sense of comfort down back, said Chapman. He also praised her ability to nullify her direct opponent and is excited about her growth in her new leadership position this season.

One to Watch   

Cambridge McCormick – Receiving praise all pre-season for her eye-catching role down back, McCormick’s ability to both defend and attack from the back half have her in line to be a key weapon for the GIANTS this season. While already an established player at the club, it is a common belief that the athletic defender can take her game to a new level in season 2024. Chapman reiterated that McCormick’s ability to break the lines and take the game on are going to be strong assets for his backline this year. He added that her penetrating kick and versatility to play on both talls and smalls were valuable attributes to set her up for a breakout 2024 campaign.