Sports Entertainment Network (SEN) is proud to announce Gerard Whateley will continue to call SEN home, with the acclaimed broadcaster and Chief Sports Caller re-signing with the network.
Whateley joined SEN in 2018, combining authoritative journalism and sharp-eyed analysis with emotive broadcasting, his self-titled morning show sets the sporting agenda for the day ahead.
Whateley and his program have enjoyed a string of accolades, including multiple awards from the Australian Football Media Association for ‘Best Radio Show’ and, most recently, the 2021 winner for the ‘Best Match Caller – Radio’ award.
In addition, the program regularly features within the top 10 of the Australian Podcast Ranker, with approximately one million downloads per month.
Whateley’s broadcasting prowess extends past AFL football, with the Quill Award winner having broadcasted a range of major sporting events across the SEN airwaves, including the Super Bowl, Olympic Games, International Test Cricket, and the Melbourne Cup.
On his re-commitment to SEN, Whateley said the appetite for sport discussion has never been greater.
“The daily conversation about sport and the issues intertwined in the games we play has never been more stimulating or relevant.
“And the expansion of SEN to a national, and indeed international network, adds to the magnitude and scope of our live sports broadcasts from AFL Nation to Test cricket around the world and the Super Bowl.
“My view from day one hasn’t altered – this is where I want to be. And almost five years in it feels like we’re just getting started.”
Sports Entertainment Network Chief Executive, Craig Hutchison, said he was thrilled that Whateley will continue to welcome listeners with “Good Morning” for many years to come.
“We are absolutely delighted that Gerard will continue to help lead the SEN family for years to come.
“It is hard to imagine anyone on air anywhere that’s more respected in Australian sports circles.
“Gerard’s respect for sport, its participants and administrators, and for sports fans of all ages and backgrounds shines through each day. It is matched only by their respect for him in turn.
“It’s the reason his show “Whateley” is the most downloaded morning radio show in Australia of any type.
“We are thrilled that he’ll continue to call the biggest moments in AFL, cricket, the Super Bowl and more as our chief commentator and host for years to come.”
Whateley airs Monday through Thursday from 9 am – 12 pm AEST on SEN 1116am (Melbourne), SEN SA 1629am (Adelaide), SEN Tassie 1629am (Hobart), SEN Top End 1611am (Darwin), SEN Kalgoorlie 1611am and streamed via the SEN App .
David King and Gerard Whateley have named their top four seeds after Round 20 of the 2022 AFL season.
King and Whateley have ranked the four teams they have the most confidence in, coupled with what they have shown so far.
The seedings will be updated on a weekly basis on SEN’s Whateley throughout the year.
See their seeds below:
KING:
1.Geelong
“They’ve got a completely even spread across their team at the moment.
“It’s a great profile. But they were still waiting for one player to say, ‘Hey, I’m back’ and if you absolutely need me to go into beast mode for 10 minutes in a final, I’m showing you I’m still here.
“Paddy Dangerfield had 26 disposals and it wasn’t the disposal count, it was the way they counted. They have an edge to them, a level of brutality that most players can’t bring.
“It’s the biggest result out of the weekend for me, was Dangerfield doing what he did to show that he’s still got it.”
2.Sydney
“There’s a lot to like about what they’re doing with their small men department – Papley, Gulden, Warner, Parker.
“They’re dangerous. Their backline’s really solid.
“I would not want to play Sydney in Sydney if it fell that way through a finals series.
“If they were able to win in the first week of the finals, whether they’re on the road or at home, and play a home Prelim … look out.”
3.Melbourne
“They were four for me last week, they came up one, got the job done.”
4. Collingwood
“My three and four are Melbourne and Collingwood.
“Huge Friday night (game). Can’t wait to see it.”
WHATELEY:
1.Geelong
“I can’t remember a more brutal Geelong performance than that.
“The sheer physicality and (Jonathon) Ceglar gave them something really interesting.”
2.Melbourne
“I like Melbourne at two.
“That was the performance I’ve been waiting for.”
3. Collingwood
“Sheer respect for 10 in a row which is so rare.”
4.Sydney
“Completely aware of the threat that’s looming there.
“They’re into the top four which we forecast weeks ago. They’re there.”
The NRL Match Review Committee has come under fire for some glaring inconsistencies regarding foul play in a confounding weekend of rugby league in Round 20.
Storm enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for an elbow to the face of Warriors hooker Wayde Egan, while teammate Josh King went unpunished for a potential eye-gouge.
Meanwhile, Titans hooker Aaron Booth escaped sanction for a cannonball tackle on Raiders forward Joe Tapine, while Jared Waerea-Hargreaves got away with a fine for a similar action to Asofa-Solomona’s, on Manly rookie Zac Fulton.
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And Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan was neither sin-binned or sent off for a hip drop tackle that saw him referred directly to the Judiciary and has him facing a lengthy ban.
Foxsports.com.au breaks down the five incidents to point out the stunning inconsistency from the MRC.
NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA
Asofa-Solomona was placed on report for an elbow/forearm on Warriors hooker Wayde Egan, but was not charged by the match review committee.
The incident in the fourth minute of the Storm’s win over the Warriors saw the Asofa-Solomona come down hard on top of Egan’s jaw with his forearm and elbow.
The Warriors rake had to leave the field and there were fears such an action had the potential to result in a broken jaw.
Andrew Johns smoked at the MRC for failing to take action against Asofa-Solomona for an incident that he believed could have resulted in an on-field send-off.
“It’s laughable,” Johns said.
“I back the players all the time, but for me that’s a four-week suspension.
“Nothing for that, or even fine? That’s close to a send-off. I can’t believe it.”
Ryan Girdler accused the MRC of not taking the rules seriously in a stinging rebuke of the Asofa-Solomona decision.
“It was very avoidable as opposed to running the football rather than when you are the defender,” Girdler said on Triple M.
“We spoke about Dale Finucane and the onus needs to be on the defender and there needs to be a duty of care to the player with the ball, especially now we see so many people in tackles and technique and holding and so forth.
“That needs to be taken seriously by the players.
“But if you want to take it seriously then the match review committee need to take it seriously as well.
“Letting Nelson get off with that sends a sign out there to the players, that sort of behavior is OK and it’s not.”
It begs the question, would the Storm star, who has formed, have been suspended or even sent off had he broken Egan’s jaw?
Any player that now finds himself in a similar tackle will be bringing up this Asofa-Solomona incident as their main defense in the future and a dangerous precedent has now been set.
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Nelson Asofa-Soloma escaped sanction for an elbow on Wayde Egan.Source: Supplied
JOSH KING
Storm lock Josh King escaped sanction for a potential eye-gouge on Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga, despite being placed on report and penalized.
In fairness to King the action may have been accidental, but it came just a week after Bulldogs enforcer Corey Waddell copped a five week suspension for coming into contact with the eyes of Titans skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
In Waddell’s case there was no genuine proof of a gouging action, but he copped a monster ban for coming into contact with the eyes of an opponent.
Gorden Tallis and Greg Alexander believed that King would be in trouble, given the harsh reaction to the Waddell incident, even if it was incidental contact.
“I think it is minimal contact, but you can’t make contact with the eyes,” Tallis said.
“I don’t like it. Don’t go near the eyes.”
“Corey Waddell got five weeks for not even gouging someone,” Alexander added.
“In slow motion it doesn’t look good. His hand went over the top of the face and got somewhere in the eye vicinity so he could be in trouble.
King could have been given the opportunity to protest his innocence at the judiciary and may well have proven it, but the decision not to charge him a week after giving Waddell five weeks on the sidelines smacks of inconsistency.
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King eye gouge raises questions! | 00:41
AARON BOOTH
Titans hooker Aaron Booth went unpunished by the MRC for a potential cannonball tackle on Raiders forward Joe Tapine.
The incident in the 32nd minute of the Titans 36-24 loss to the Raiders saw two Gold Coast players tackling Tapine before Booth came in late down around his legs from behind in a cannonball style tackle.
Tapine took issue with the tackle and the pair got into a scuffle, which resulted in the Raiders star being sent to the sin bin.
On his way to the sin bin Tapine questioned the tackle to the referee but Ben Cummins said the tackle was cleared.
The cannonball tackle is up there with the hip drop as one of the most dangerous tackles on a rugby league field for its ability to cause serious injury.
“Joe Tapine must have felt what he thought was a cannonball as Aaron Booth comes in right at the knees,” Matt Russell said.
Aaron Booth tackles Joe Tapine.Source: FOX SPORTS
“You have got to be above the knees. Quads or higher.”
While Booth may have initially hit Tapine on the hamstrings, the speed and force at which he came into the tackle from behind as the third man in, had the potential to cause Tapine a serious injury, which is why he was so angry.
Gorden Tallis told Triple M that he didn’t think Patrick Carrigan’s tackle “was as bad as some that I’ve seen this year” and brought up the Booth incident.
“So Aaron Booth, I have spears into the back (of Joe Tapine). Which one is worse in your eyes?,” he asked.
“I can’t believe he didn’t get reported,” Ben Dobbin said.
“It wasn’t even a penalty,” James Hooper added.
“Probably the one from the Titans game, it seemed to have more intent in the tackle,” James Graham added.
If the MRC are serious about stamping it out of the game, Booth should have at least been charged and given the opportunity to defend himself at the judiciary.
Failing to charge these incidents gives the players no deterrent to stop employing the cannonball tackle if they think they can get away with it on a technicality.
Tapine binned for punching Titan | 00:23
PATRICK CARRIGAN
Broncos lock Patrick Carrigan is facing a lengthy suspension for his hip-drop tackle on Jackson Hastings after being referred directly to the judiciary.
Carrigan deserves to be suspended for the ugly tackle that broke Hastings’ leg and ruled him out for the season.
However, if the incident was deemed serious enough to refer Carrigan straight to the judiciary, why was he not sin-binned or sent off?
Nathan Cleary coped with a five week suspension after being sent off for an ugly lifting tackle on Dylan Brown.
If Carrigan is looking at a similar ban, the Tigers should have got the on-field advantage of having the Broncos reduced to 12 men for 10 minutes at least.
James Hooper believes Carrigan will miss the remainder of the regular season with a five week ban.
Patrick Carrigan’s hip-drop tackle.Source: Supplied
“In all likelihood the fact he’s been referred… I think Pat Carrigan is rubbed out for the rest of the season and he’s back for September,” Hooper said.
If Carrigan cops a five game ban, it is confounding how he wasn’t sent off for the tackle or at the very least sin-binned.
On the other hand Gorden Tallis questioned why Carrigan is potentially meeting the same fate as Waddell who is out for five weeks due to an eye-gouge.
“If you tell me that tackle is as bad as an eye gouge… if someone has their fingers around your eyes I’d bite their fingers off,” Tallis said.
It raised the question of Hastings’ injury playing a part in the punishment, which comes back to Asofa-Solomona potentially facing a ban had he broken Egan’s jaw.
Carrigan’s hip drop injuries Hastings | 01:01
JARED WAEREA-HAGREAVES
The Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves escaped with a fine for an early guilty plea after being charged by the match review committee for a similar incident to Asofa-Solomona’s.
The Roosters star was penalized and placed on report for an elbow to the face of Manly rookie Zac Fulton while he was on the ground.
Waerea-Hargreaves’ punishment brings up two questions. Why was he not banned because a small fine is not a deterrent for these actions?
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves escaped with a fine.Source: Getty Images
And given Asofa-Solomona’s incident is widely considered to be much worse than the Roosters star’s actions, why wasn’t the Storm forward charged by the MRC?
Referee Grant Atkins labeled Waerea-Hargreaves actions unacceptable.
“Jared can’t do what he did, that is unacceptable, that is why it is against you,” Atkins said.
But how can an unacceptable action on a rugby league field receive only a small $3000 fine.
Coupled with the Asofa-Soloma incident, a small fine for Waerea-Hargreaves and no punishment at all for the Storm forward offers no deterrent whatsoever for players who employ these grubby tactics.
David King has questioned Brett Ratten’s post-game comments following St Kilda’s 12-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday, telling the Saints coach: “You can’t have it both ways”.
After coming too close for comfort in almost blowing a 44-point lead in the third quarter, scenes at the final siren were somewhat subdued for St Kilda fans.
The narrative after the game was a strange one given the last quarter drop-off where the Hawks kicked five goals to one, but Ratten questioned that during his press conference.
“Probably everyone that speaks about us speaks about half-empty,” the Saints coach said post-match.
“Every time we speak to somebody we’re not going so well, we don’t do this, we don’t do that.
“We won the game of footy.
“We didn’t play the game for four quarters how we wanted to, but we took four points.
“Everyone can keep looking at how negative the Saints are and what the Saints are doing, we won a game of footy. It would be nice if people say well done for a change.”
The win over Hawthorn came just two weeks after St Kilda released inner-sanctum footage of Ratten imploring his players to challenge each other and drive standards on the field following a disappointing loss to the Western Bulldogs.
“We’ve got to push, not concede. We’ve got to ask more of each other, not allow it to happen.”
That footage came among questions of on-field leadership, and the drop-off against Hawthorn failed to dispel that theory.
However, the win importantly moved St Kilda into the top eight, and the victory could have been bigger had they not kicked 10.15.
“They should have smashed Hawthorn on the weekend,” King said on SEN’s Whateley.
“I’m a little bit with Ratts on this game, they kicked 10.15 and 5.8 from set shots, you’ve just got to have a better return than that.
“You’ve just got to be able to put these games well out of reach and break the hearts of the opposition.”
However, King questioned the comments in relation to what Ratten said a fortnight ago.
“I agree with Ratts a little bit, but hey Ratts, it was only seven days ago you were sitting in front of the group saying we’ve got to raise the bar,” the dual-premiership Kangaroos added.
“So which is it? Can we be positive about what you’re doing as a group, or are we still challenging internally for guys to get better and raise the bar?
“You can’t have it both ways.
“I like what they can do, I don’t always like what they actually do.”
Despite finishing Round 20 in the top eight, the Saints face an uphill battle to hold that spot, playing Geelong, Brisbane and Sydney in their last three games.
Fremantle Dockers great David Mundy has announced he will retire from the AFL at the end of the season.
Key points:
David Mundy will end his career in the top 10 for most AFL/VFL games played
Fremantle has paid tribute to Mundy, calling him a major part of the club
The Dockers will honor his career during the round 22 western derby
Mundy, 37, made his AFL debut for Fremantle in 2005 after being drafted from Victoria, and has played 371 games to date.
That places him 10th on the list of most AFL/VFL games played, and the Dockers veteran is set to move into outright 9th place at least by the time he hangs up his boots at season’s end.
“I’m incredibly proud, I’ve been living my dream for 19 years now and I’ve loved every bit of it,” Mundy said in announcing his decision to retire.
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“Not all of it has been easy, there’s been quite a few, really hard and emotional bits to it, but I’ve been able to grow as a person and as a player throughout my time at Fremantle and I wouldn’t have it any other way”.
Fremantle football manager Peter Bell was quick to point out how significant Mundy’s career had been in the context of the club’s history.
Mundy says he is “incredibly proud” of his career with the Dockers.(AAP: Julian Smith)
“Dave has been a major part of where we are as a club and where we are headed,” Bell said.
“He’s a great character who understands the bigger picture, understands what the stresses of being a player are, and understands more broadly the other decisions and leadership that we need as a football club.”
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Fremantle will honor Mundy’s career during the round 22 western derby, the club’s final home game of the season ahead of the finals series.
While the game will be the fans’ chance to say thank you to Mundy, the veteran said it was also important for him to be able to pay tribute to the club.
“It’s been an incredible thing to be apart of to be honest, to receive that kind of love and respect from the fans,” he said.
“It’s something that’s really grown in the back half of my career and I find it really hard to describe how it makes me feel. It’s obviously very special and I really appreciate that support.”
Cristiano Ronaldo played 45 minutes as he made his first Manchester United appearance in 12 weeks during a 1-1 pre-season draw with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford and later proclaimed: “Happy to be back”.
The 37-year-old Portugal forward, who missed the club’s pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia for personal reasons, reportedly wants to leave the club he rejoined last year.
Former Real Madrid and Juventus star Ronaldo finished as United’s top scorer last season with 24 goals.
Ronaldo returns to Manchester at last | 00:36
But the campaign as a whole was a huge disappointment for the club, with a sixth-place finish in the Premier League meaning they missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
Ronaldo was left out of United’s squad for Saturday’s friendly with Atletico Madrid in Oslo.
But, commenting on a post on a fan page about him missing the game in Norway, Ronaldo wrote Friday: “Domingo o rei joga” which translates as “Sunday the king plays”.
Ronaldo applauded fans on both sides of the ground as he led the team out for their pre-match warm-up on Sunday.
The veteran forward had one clear chance during his 45-minute appearance but drove over the bar after running on to Donny van de Beek’s lay-off.
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Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United during the Pre-Season Friendly match. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
After the match, Ronaldo posted a photograph of himself playing in the game on his Twitter feed beneath a caption of “Happy to be back”.
“I cannot tell at this moment [how fit Ronaldo is],” Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag said pre-game.
“He is not on the level of the rest of the squad because he has missed a lot of weeks.
“But he needs games and he needs training, a lot.”
New signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez both featured for an hour in a game set up by Ten Hag for the players who did not have major roles in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Atletico.
Amad Diallo, who was on loan at Rangers last season, gave United the lead early in the second half when the 20-year-old Ivory Coast winger fired in the rebound after a shot from Alex Telles had been saved.
United’s lead, however, lasted just nine minutes before Alvaro Garcia equalized in similar fashion after Tom Heaton had saved Isaac Palazon Camacho’s initial effort.
United start their Premier League campaign at home to Brighton on August 7.
With another member of their depleted backline facing time on the sidelines due to injury, Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster said Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma’s arrival in Melbourne couldn’t come at a better time.
Nofoaluma, who had fallen down the pecking order at the Wests Tigers in recent weeks and been left out of the NRL side, will join the Storm on loan for the remainder of 2022.
The Samoa international is expected to move straight into the starting side for coach Craig Bellamy, who could be without stand-in fullback Nick Meaney after he left the field with a shoulder injury and concussion in the second half of Friday night’s win over the Warriors.
With the Storm having already lost Ryan Papenhuyzen, Xavier Coates, Reimis Smith and George Jennings to long-term injuries, Munster said it was a huge relief to secure a player of Nofoaluma’s experience and ability for the run towards the finals.
“He is obviously a very smart winger and a good player with the ball in his hands,” Munster told NRL.com.
“He is a very strong ball runner and he will be very handy for us coming out of the backfield. Hopefully we can get some good combinations with him and he can score some tries for us.
“He is very awkward to tackle, a very strong player and when he has the ball in his hands, he tends to get across the field very quickly. He can make you pay.
“We are very fortunate the Tigers have let him come on loan. It probably couldn’t come at a better time.
“Everyone is falling down like flies at the moment, so fingers crossed we can get a healthy side there next Friday night against the Titans.”
Before announcing the loan deal with the Wests Tigers on Friday evening, Melbourne had tried to bring Warriors fullback Reece Walsh and former Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr, who is now at the Bulldogs, in on loan for the rest of the year.
Munster said despite the club’s efforts to try and bolster the backline, he had been impressed with the manner in which wingers Grant Anderson, Dean Ieremia and center Marion Seve had filled the void in recent weeks.
“Grant, Maz (Seve) and Dean, mate, they have been outstanding for us,” Munster said
“They probably wouldn’t have expected to have played so many games this year.
They will only be better for the run and getting experience in these positions and I expect a big year for them next year.
Cameron Munster
Captain Jesse Bromwich meanwhile said he believed his side had turned a corner in the 24-12 defeat of the Warriors in Auckland, as they held a team to fewer than 20 points for the first time since the end of May.
Melbourne faced a difficult final five games of the regular season, with next week’s trip to face the Titans the only match they have remaining against a side sitting outside of the top eight.
“I think we took a step in the right direction. I just could feel the attitude towards our defense has changed and I think that’s what we needed,” Bromwich said.
“It’s obviously been a tough month but we had a really good performance [Friday]obviously we have got a few things to work on, but I think it will give us a bit of a confidence boost.”
There is an extra reason why the Broncos should be very worried about Patrick Carrigan’s horror tackle that broke the leg of Tigers star Jackson Hastings on Saturday.
Carrigan has been referred straight to the judiciary for the hip drop tackle – an indication of the seriousness of the incident.
But what will cause him real concern is that only two weeks ago, the NRL warned all clubs about the dangers of hip drop tackles, in which a player is held by two tacklers and then a third player comes in around the waist and pulls him to the ground, causing major damage to legs, knees or ankles.
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The warning was accompanied by videos of the tackles and a clear message – stamp it out!
The fact that Carrigan’s tackle, which has ended Hastings’ season – came so soon after the warning will ensure the judicial clamps down hard on him as an example to all players.
Patrick Carrigan has been charged for this hip drop tackle on Jackson Hastings. (Nine)Jackson Hastings limps off after a Patrick Carrigan hip-drop tackle. (Getty Images)
The Tigers, meanwhile, are fuming about the tackle, which soured their splendid upset win in Brisbane.
“It was a dog shot… and the referee didn’t even want to do anything about it,” a Tigers source told Wide World of Sports.
“It was only when Jackson was screaming in pain on the ground and (skipper) James Tamou abused the referee for not taking action that the Bunker got involved.”
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Uniform controversies that have rocked sport around the world
After putting his former club to the sword, Canberra half Jamal Fogarty said he had “no regrets” about leaving the last-placed Titans and has pleaded with the Gold Coast to have patience with rookie No.7 Toby Sexton.
Fogarty, who played 41 games for the Gold Coast, was superb for the Raiders in the 36-24 win over the Titans. He set up a crucial try when the game was in the balance and combined superbly with halves partner Jack Wighton to keep Canberra’s finals hopes alive.
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Sexton and the Titans spine was unable to ice key moments, causing coach Justin Holbrook to say that “Kieran (Foran) can’t get here quick enough”, in reference to the Manly star’s impending arrival in 2023.
The Titans parted ways with Fogarty at the end of last year and allowed him to sign with the Raiders after backing 21-year-old Sexton to be their main man in the seven jersey.
That decision has been a flop, but Fogarty said he had no bitterness towards the Gold Coast.
“There are no regrets,” the 28-year-old said.
“I’ll be totally honest. When I signed at the (Titans) they told me day one Toby was going to be their halfback moving forward. It was just going to be a matter of when.
“Once they said Tobes was ready to take over it was ‘sweet, where is the best option for me to keep playing?’
Jamal Fogarty says the Titans should show some faith in Toby Sexton. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I am not bitter towards the club or any of the players. I am just grateful that Sticky (Ricky Stuart) and the Canberra boys have given me the opportunity to keep playing NRL because it took me so long to get here. I had to look after myself first.
“Moving forward I hope all the Gold Coast supporters give Tobes a bit of time and give him a bit of love and credit. He’s had two years where it has been Covid.
“He has come straight out of school, hasn’t played any footy, and obviously it was going to be tough for him to play a full season of halfback. He is going to be a 10 or 12-year player for the club and play 200 games for them.”
The Raiders are in ninth position on the ladder on 22 points and just outside the eight on for and against.
Fogarty, who has won five of eight games for the Raiders after overcoming injury, is building his combination with Wighton.
“People on the outside don’t realize we’ve played just five games together,” Fogarty said.
“Two of those weeks he was in Origin camp. He came back for captain’s run after I’d trained all week with Matt Frawley… so we were learning on the run in captain’s run. Another time he had Covid and it was very similar.
“The last weeks we’ve been able to have a full week of preparation and we are finding a groove. I think we are heading in the right direction at the right time of the season whether they are good wins or ugly wins.”
The selfless Fogarty said the win over the Titans was not about him, but it still felt weird.
“It is obviously different in the away sheds, to start off with. It is the first time I have come to the stadium on a bus as well,” he said.
“I spoke to the boys every week that it is just about us. When we focus on ourselves we play our best style of footy.”
Interim GWS coach Mark McVeigh had players texting him to apologize for their performance after Saturday’s heavy loss to Sydney in a clear sign his connection with the group is strong.
McVeigh’s brutally honest post-match press conference after the 73-point thrashing saw him declare some players had “checked out” and “embarrassed” the club.
McVeigh also named the eight players he believed “went to the wall” against the Swans, with his public admissions raising concerns of player unrest before a trade period the salary cap-strapped Giants will be very active in.
But a player-led meeting after the Sydney loss where many took ownership of their failings was followed by an already-organized Sunday barbecue attended by players, their partners and staff.
The Giants are aware there is a lot of work to do to restore the premiership credentials of a club that hasn’t finished top-four since 2017.
GWS have won only 25 of 60 games since playing off in the 2019 Grand Final and like Collingwood in recent times, now face the prospect of picking up the pieces of a failed premiership tilt.
That is somewhat complicated by the fact this is a playing list that has a handful of players on salaries hovering around $1 million a season, such as Josh Kelly, Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield.
The Giants will be among the most active participants in the upcoming trade period as they look to balance the books.
Tanner Bruhn’s desire to return to Victoria will see him leave only two years after being taken at pick 12 in the 2020 draft, while Bobby Hill has been wanting a trade since last year.
Tim Taranto is out of contract and widely expected to seek a fresh start. His midfield running mate Jacob Hopper is contracted for next year, but has become Geelong’s No.1 trade target.
Indeed, most bets are off when it comes to the Giants’ list management direction. Haynes has been raised by GWS as a trade prospect, but is highly unlikely to move given his age and the back-ended nature of his contract.
Whitfield signed a seven-year contract through until 2027, but can’t be ruled out as a trade option.
While Whitfield has not been formally discussed at list management level at GWS, there are some at the club who are willing to entertain the prospect.
The Giants sit 16th with three games to come against Essendon, Western Bulldogs and Fremantle.
They are currently searching for a senior coach having met Alastair Clarkson multiple times in recent months.
