The Greater Western Sydney GIANTS have named 17 debutantes in their team to play the club’s first ever AFL match against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium this Saturday, March 24.
The number of first game players equals that fielded by the Adelaide Crows in its first match in the AFL in 1991 and is the equal second highest of all time behind the eight foundation teams of the VFL in 1897.
The side has 14 teenagers and just five players with previous AFL experience, including James McDonald (251 games) and Chad Cornes (239 games), Callan Ward (60 games), Rhys Palmer (53 games) and Phil Davis (18 games).
The average age of the team is 20 years and 8 months and the average number of games played is 28. At 21 years and 206 days Phil Davis is the third youngest ever VFL/AFL captain, and at 21 years and 348 days Callan Ward is the ninth youngest captain in history.
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GIANTS Head Coach Kevin Sheedy congratulated all those selected to play their first game in what is an historic match for the club and the AFL in Sydney.
“You never forget your first game and I’m sure it will be the same for all our young players when they run out on ANZ Stadium on Saturday night. It will be a night for the players and their families and the people of Sydney to remember,” he said.
Sheedy said the GIANTS were without several experienced players because of injury, including co-captain Luke Power, Dean Brogan, Setanta O’hAilpin , as well as Tom Scully and number one draft pick Jonathon Patton.
The AFL debutants (including age and previous club) are as follows:
Tim Mohr ( 23, Casey, Vic), Jack Hombsch ( 19, Sturt, SA), Adam Kennedy (19, Western U18, Vic), Tom Bugg (18, Gippsland U18, Vic), Stephen Coniglio (18, Swan Districts, WA), Jonathan Giles (24, Sturt, SA), Dylan Shiel (19, Dandenong U18, Vic), Will Hoskin-Elliott (18, Western U18, Vic), Jeremy Cameron (18, Nth Ballarat U18, Vic), Devon Smith (18, Geelong U18, Vic), Curtly Hampton (19, Alice Springs, NT), Israel Folau (22, Brisbane Broncos), Nathan Wilson (19, Peel Thunder, WA), Jacob Townsend (18, Leeton-Whitton, NSW), Toby Greene (18, Oakleigh U18, Vic), Dom Tyson (18, Oakleigh U18, Vic) and Adam Tomlinson (18, Oakleigh U18, Vic).
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2012 TOYOTA AFL Premiership Season ROUND 1
GWS GIANTS v Sydney Swans
Saturday March 24, 7pm
ANZ STADIUM
