As we approach our season opener against the Melbourne Demons at the MCG on Saturday, we’ve rounded up all the latest news and views from the opposition.
The build-up started early last week when GIANTS star forward Jeremy Cameron was handed a four-week suspension by the AFL Tribunal.
Cameron’s ban will see our four-time leading goal kicker on the sidelines for the first month of the season after a rough conduct charge in the final NAB Challenge match of the pre-season.
Melbourne key forward and 2015 NAB AFL Rising Star winner Jesse Hogan spoke to the media last week about his thoughts on the game.
“We faced them (the GIANTS) early on last year and they started their year 8-0 (correction: 6-2) or something so they’re a good team when they come out so they start their year pretty well like they did last year,” Hogan said.
“We’ll be ready for that and they’re a real fast brand of footy. We’ve won all our games and we know we come up against a team that can score five quick goals.
“We haven’t faced that yet so we’re just going to do what we’ve done every other week and look at what the team does and look at certain players and the way they play and we’ll just do what we normally do.
“Don’t over think it and don’t over play it and do what we’ve been doing.”
He’s usually a long way from the GIANTS’ forward line but 21-year-old Hogan acknowledged Cameron’s suspension would mean a different task for the Dees defenders.
“You don’t really want to see player miss, you want to play a full-strength side against a full-strength side but obviously not having Jeremy Cameron or Cam McCarthy up there will be handy for us.”
Melbourne coach Paul Roos made a bold statement in his Monday press conference, predicting the GIANTS and Demons could face off for a flag in the next three to five years.
The Demons finished 13th in 2015, while the GIANTS were two spots above them in eleventh.
The GIANTS looked on track for a maiden finals berth when sitting 7-3, but a spate of injuries - including to ruckman Shane Mumford - ruined their season.
Roos said expansion clubs GWS and Gold Coast would rise at a similar time to the Demons.
"I don't want to say there's a rivalry, but there's going to be a competition between Melbourne, the GIANTS and the Suns for a long period of time," Roos said.
"We think Gold Coast and the GIANTS have got good young lists. We're probably similar ourselves.
"Previously, even though we beat them in round 23 [last year], we've been a little bit behind them with our development.
"It's going to be great to see the GIANTS play Melbourne for the next 10 years.
"In an ideal world, you might see Melbourne playing the Giants for a premiership in the next three to five years."
In selection news for the Demons, Roos said Heritier Lumumba's advice will be sought to decide whether he will play in round one.
Lumumba had surgery on both ankles at the end of last season, but has now played two consecutive VFL practice matches.
Angus Brayshaw and Lynden Dunn also played in last Saturday's game for the Casey Scorpions.
Brayshaw, 20, injured his left knee in the first few seconds of Melbourne's opening pre-season match against Port Adelaide, while Dunn, 28, missed Melbourne's final NAB Challenge game against St Kilda with a groin complaint.
Lumumba, Brayshaw and Dunn trained on Monday in a group that spent the session mostly running and stretching.
The rest of the team did match simulation drills, with former Canberra local Aaron vandenBerg among those.
vandenBerg didn't play for Casey last Saturday, but coach Paul Roos said the 24-year-old should be fit to take on the GIANTS after missing the clash with the Saints.
Roos also said key defender Oscar McDonald could play against the GIANTS. Oscar is the younger brother and teammate of Tom McDonald.
Keep an eye on gwsgiants.com.au for all the latest news and views ahead of round one with the team announced first at 6.25pm on Thursday.
