What Could Have Been?
The 2019 Grand Final could have been a different story had the Greater West Sydney Giants had they retained some of the players that have left their club and are currently on AFL lists in the 2019 season. I have included 7 players that played in the game as I didn’t consider the likes of Phil Davis and Lachie Whitfield as they weren’t considered fit enough. Matt Buntine was the only player who wasn’t selected in the 22 for the Grand Final team that I considered for selection. The team could have been as follows:
My Grand Final Team for Greater Western Sydney
B: Matt Buntine (Not Selected), Sam Frost (Melbourne), Nick Haynes (Selected)
HB: Nathan Wilson (Fremantle), Jack Hombsch (Gold Coast), Jacob Hopper (Selected)
C: Josh Kelly (Selected), Tim Taranto (Selected), Zac Williams (Selected)
HF: Dylan Shiel (Essendon), Josh Bruce (St Kilda), Jack Steele (St Kilda)
FF: Harry Himmelberg (Selected), Will Hoskin-Elliott (Collingwood), Jacob Townsend (Richmond)
Foll: Andrew Phillips (Carlton), Adam Treloar (Collingwood), Taylor Adams (Collingwood)
Int: Rory Lobb (Fremantle), Adam Tomlinson (Selected), Anthony Miles (Gold Coast), Will Setterfield (Carlton)
In a Nutshell
I have included 7 of the 22 players that were selected in the Grand Final, with 1 player in the team that I selected that was on the Greater West Sydney list, but who was not selected in the 22 that took the field. The other 14 players are players that I considered good enough to play in the Grand Final and help them win the game that were on other lists in 2019 and I considered good enough to play in the Grand Final.
Leadership
Tim Taranto and Harry Himmelberg would be the Co-Captains; they were probably the 2 best players in the Grand Final for their team. Taranto won the best and fairest in Season 2019, while I think that Himmelberg would benefit from the extra responsibility.