GIANTS co-captain Callan Ward is looking forward to 2017 and putting a heartbreaking end to the AFL season behind him.
The 26-year-old said despite the disappointing six-point Preliminary Final loss to the Western Bulldogs the GIANTS could be proud of their efforts in 2016.
“We have to improve on this season and if we improve, we’ll be playing in a Grand Final,” he said.
“But all we can do now is be proud of the season we’ve had and really look forward to next year.”
It may be nearly a month since the GIANTS’ were beaten by the eventual premiers in an epic encounter at Spotless Stadium, but the emotion of the loss is still there for Ward.
“It’s obviously disappointing the way we ended our season in the Preliminary Final, but I guess at the start of the year if we got told we’d play in a prelim and lose by a goal it’s probably a tick,” he said.
“We could have gone all the way, could have played in a Grand Final, won a Grand Final, but it wasn’t to be this season.”
In 2016 the GIANTS went from the easy prey to the predators, winning a club record 16 home and away games and sounding a wake up call to the competition with a resounding victory over Sydney in their first ever final.
To have their season end just one kick shy of a maiden Grand Final appearance was too much for Ward and many of his teammates.
“I haven’t cried like that in a long time,” he said.
“There were probably three quarters of the group that were all crying.
“I’ve never experienced that before, it meant a whole lot to this group.”
The emotions shown by the GIANTS on the ground after the loss and in the rooms comes from the bond they share as a team and as Ward puts it, their willingness to play for the man alongside them.
“I remember speaking to Lachie Whitfield and he just said, how good does it feels when you know the guys are going out there to play for their teammates,” he said.
“That’s a great thing because it’s so true.
“People aren’t going out there to play for themselves anymore, people are going out there to play for their teammates and that’s the most important thing.”
The GIANTS’ willingness to put their bodies on the line and play for each other was never more evident than their win over the Sydney Swans in the Qualifying Final at ANZ Stadium.
Ward rates it as their best win of the year.
“To win like that against a really good side in Sydney – who obviously played in the Grand Final – was a really great effort for us,” he said.
“I though we played some good footy that day.”
