KEVIN Sheedy says Greater Western Sydney are getting better, but doubts they will start favourite against Melbourne this weekend, in the AFL's bottom-of-the-ladder clash.
The last-placed GIANTS will strive for their first win of the season, while the second-from-bottom Demons have notched only two victories.
GWS coach Sheedy was dismissive of the suggestion GWS could start favourite for the game at ŠKODA Stadium on Saturday, given their improved from over the last two weeks and Melbourne's hiding last weekend.
"I doubt that will happen, what are you talking about? A $1.10 to a $1.10,' Sheedy said.
"It makes no sense. All I'll say is that it will be a tight game."
Asked about the growing fascination with Saturday's game, Sheedy said it probably emanated from Melbourne."
"Probably, it's Melbourne as a club and Melbourne as the city," Sheedy said.
"We're in our second season all up, so I would imagine that there's that sort of competitiveness between a team from the west of Sydney and Melbourne, out of who is going to end up on the bottom.
"Obviously we are there at the moment. If we can win a game and win another one, then all of a sudden you can roll the dice a bit."
Asked which team he thought would be under more pressure to win Sheedy said, "I think there's a fair chance we need to win.
"We played probably our best game for the year last week I would have thought. "Two points down against a finals team at three-quarter time and it was probably our best performance at the MCG.
"We actually looked like we were an AFL side last week for the first time I've felt for a while,
"We actually played a standard of AFL football that probably rocked the socks a little bit off some of the commentators and we learnt a lot from our debacle against the Swans which you will, because they are a very very good side obviously.
"When you come out against Essendon and they were second on the ladder, and I think Collingwood are about sixth or seventh, we're actually playing real quality football against finalists and that's a standard that we have to look at and say we're getting better."
Meanwhile, GIANTS midfielder Rhys Palmer has been ruled out of the rest of the season with a serious foot injury.
The 24-year-old will this week have surgery on the niggling injury, which he aggravated against Sydney in round 16, and is not expected to re-join the squad for training until the pre-season.