The Greater Western Sydney Giants, also known as the GWS Giants, are an Australian rules football club based in the Greater Western Sydney region of New South Wales. The club joined the Australian Football League (AFL) as an expansion club, playing their first match during the first round of the 2012 AFL season.
In the AFL draft, clubs receive picks based on the position in which they finish on the ladder during the season. The draft is held each year at the end of November, to allow the draftees to finish their school examinations before being drafted.
2011 Draft concessions The Greater Western Sydney Giants were to join the AFL in 2012, and were provided with several draft concessions, including additional draft selections, early access to recruit 17-year-old players, and access to uncontracted and previously listed players in this offseason. These concessions were similar to those provided to the Gold Coast Football Club, which entered the league in the previous season.
Greater Western Sydney was permitted to recruit the following players directly, without the need for any draft: At the end of 2010, up to twelve 17-year-old players (born between 1 January – 30 April 1993), who were too young to enter the 2010 AFL draft. These players were not eligible to play senior AFL football in 2011, and would continue to undergo junior development, either in Sydney or their home state. Up to ten players who were not on an AFL list but had previously nominated for a national draft. These players could be recruited at the end of either 2011 or 2012, with no more than ten players recruited in this manner over the two years. Greater Western Sydney could immediately trade any players recruited in this manner. Up to sixteen players who were on an AFL list, but were out of contract at the end of the season. Again, these players could be recruited at the end of either 2011 or 2012, with no more than sixteen players recruited in this manner over the two years, and no more than one player recruited from any other club. Clubs who lost players in this manner received compensatory selections in the national draft; the number and value of these selections was determined based on age, contract size, on-field performance and draft order, and were permitted to be used in any year between 2011 and 2015. Up to sixteen players recruited from the New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory zone, recruited at any time between 2010 and 2013, and from the Northern Territory zone, recruited between 2011 and 2013.
Then, in the drafts, Greater Western Sydney had the following selections: In the 2011 national draft, the first selection in each round, and picks No. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 in the first round. In the 2011 rookie draft, the first eight selections. In the 2012 rookie draft, the first selection in each round.
Additionally, at the end of 2011, Greater Western Sydney had the ability to trade the only four selections in a once-off "mini-draft", which could be used to recruit 17-year-old players (born between 1 January – 30 April 1994). Greater Western Sydney could only use these draft picks as trade currency; the club was not permitted to use the picks for its own list development. Players recruited and traded in this manner were not eligible to play senior AFL football in 2012, and would continue to undergo junior development. This specific concession was unique to Greater Western Sydney; Gold Coast did not have the same concession the previous year.
Greater Western Sydney began with an expanded list size of up to fifty senior players and nine rookies, to be gradually reduced to a standard list size of thirty-eight senior players and nine rookies by 2019.
During the 2011 AFL season there was speculation about several players who would be uncontracted at the end of the season, including Tom Scully, Rhys Palmer, Callan Ward and Taylor Walker. In August 2011, Phil Davis from was the first player to announce a move to Greater Western Sydney as an uncontracted player signing.Adelaide Crows lose defender Phil Davis to Greater Western Sydney Giants After the season had ended, Palmer, Scully and Ward also announced moves to the Giants. As compensation, Scully was rated as a top-level player, resulting in receiving both a first-round and a mid-first round draft pick as compensation. Davis and Ward were rated as second-level, earning and a first round compensation selection, and Palmer was rated a third-level player, giving an end of first round selection.
National draft selections
Giants AFL national draft selections Year Round Pick Player Recruited from League Draft Pick Notes 2011 1 1 Jonathon Patton Eastern Ranges TAC Cup - 2011 1 2 Stephen Coniglio Swan Districts WAFL - 2011 1 3 Dom Tyson Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup - 2011 1 4 Will Hoskin-Elliott Western Jets TAC Cup - 2011 1 5 Matt Buntine Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup - 2011 1 7 Nick Haynes Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup - 2011 1 9 Adam Tomlinson Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup - 2011 1 10Liam Sumner Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup - 2011 1 11 Toby Greene Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup - 2011 1 13 Taylor Adams Geelong Falcons TAC Cup - 2011 1 14 Devon Smith Geelong Falcons TAC Cup - 2011 3 56 Tom Downie North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup - 2011 5 79 Setanta Ó hAilpín Carlton AFL - 2011 6 87 James McDonald Old Xaverians VAFA - 2012 1 1Lachie WhitfieldDandenong StingraysTAC Cup - 2012 1 2 Jonathan O'RourkeCalder CannonsTAC CupTraded from 2012 1 3 Lachie PlowmanCalder CannonsTAC CupTraded from 2012 1 12 Kristian Jaksch Oakleigh Chargers TAC Cup Traded from 2012 1 14 Aidan CorrNorthern KnightsTAC CupTraded from , uncontracted player compensation pick (Scully) 2012 2 27 James StewartSandringham DragonsTAC CupTraded by , received from 2013 1 1 Tom Boyd Eastern Ranges TAC Cup - 2013 1 2 Josh Kelly Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup Traded from 2013 1 14 Cam McCarthy WAFL Traded from 2013 2 29 Rory Lobb WAFL Traded from 2013 9 97 Jake Barrett Temora Farrer FL NSW zone selection 2014 1 4 Jarrod Pickett South Fremantle WAFL - 2014 1 6 Caleb Marchbank Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup Traded from 2014 1 7 Paul Ahern Calder Cannons TAC Cup Traded from 2014 2 23 Pat McKenna Gisborne Bendigo Football League Traded from 2014 2 24 Jack Steele Belconnen NEAFL Academy player 2014 7 85 Jeremy Finlayson Sydney Hills Eagles NEAFL Academy player 2015 1 7 Jacob Hopper North Ballarat Rebels TAC Cup Academy player; Gold Coast's bid matched with pick 11 2015 1 13 Matthew Kennedy Collingullie-Glenfield Park RFNLAcademy player; Richmond's bid matched with picks 34 and 40 2015 1 16 Harrison Himmelberg Mangoplah-CUE RFNL Academy player; Adelaide's bid matched with picks 48, 50, 55 and 59 2015 3 41 Matt Flynn Narrandera RFNL Academy player; Melbourne's bid matched with GWS' next pick 2016 1 2 Tim Taranto Sandringham Dragons TAC CupTraded from 2016 1 5 Will Setterfield Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup Academy player, Carlton's bid matched with picks 15 and 37. 2016 1 14 Harry Perryman Collingullie-Glenfield Park RFNL Academy player, Adelaide's bid matched with picks 38, 44 and 51. 2016 1 20 Isaac Cumming North Broken Hill BHFL Academy player, Sydney's bid matched with picks 52, 54, 55 and 56. 2016 4 54 Lachlan Tiziani Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup Academy player, traded from ; received from 2016 4 58 Matt de Boer AFL - 2017 1 11 Aiden Bonar Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup Traded from 2017 2 27 Brent Daniels Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup Traded from 2017 2 28 Sam Taylor WAFL Traded from ; received from 2017 4 56 Zac Langdon WAFL Traded by ; received from 2017 4 64 Nick Shipley St George Sydney AFL Originally pick No.15, but slid down due to 1,000 point penalty following the Lachie Whitfield saga; Academy Selection 2018 1 11 Jye Caldwell Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup Traded from 2018 1 14 Jackson Hately Central District SANFL Traded from Freo; received from Port, N.M. 2018 1 22 Xavier O'Halloran Western Jets TAC Cup Traded from Freo; received from Bris, Suns, WCE 2018 2 24 Bobby Hill WAFL Traded from at the draft; received from 2018 2 34 Kieren Briggs Pennant Hills AFL Syd. Academy selection 2018 4 61 Connor Idun Geelong Falcons TAC Cup Traded from at the draft; received from 2019 1 4 Lachlan Ash Murray Bushrangers NAB League Traded from ; received from in 2018 2019 1 10 Tom Green Canberra Demons NEAFL Academy selection, matched bid by 2019 3 51 Jake Riccardi Werribee VFL Traded from at the draft; received from ; received from ; received from (via ) in 2018 2019 5 65 Thomas Hutchesson Adelaide SANFL - 2020 1 12 Tanner Bruhn Geelong Falcons NAB LeagueFree Agency compensation pick (Williams) 2020 1 15 Conor Stone Oakleigh Chargers NAB League Traded from ; received from at the 2019 National Draft 2020 1 18 Ryan Angwin Gippsland Power NAB League Traded from ; received from in 2019 2020 4 58 Cameron Fleeton Geelong Falcons NAB League - 2020 4 59 Jacob Wehr SANFL - 2021 1 3 Finn Callaghan Sandringham Dragons NAB League ← (2020) 2021 1 15 Leek AleerSANFL - 2021 3 42 Josh Fahey Queanbeyan Tigers AFL Canberra Academy selection, matched bid by , used picks 47 and 89 2022 1 1 Aaron Cadman Greater Western Victoria Rebels NAB League ← 2022 1 16 Harry Rowston Calder Cannons NAB League Academy selection, matched bid by 2022 1 21 Darcy Jones WAFL ← 2022 2 22 Max Gruzewski Oakleigh Chargers NAB League ←← (2021) 2022 2 34 Toby McMullin Sandringham Dragons NAB League ← 2023 1 12 Phoenix Gothard Murray Bushrangers Talent League← 2023 1 17 James Leake Tasmania Devils Talent League ← 2023 2 44 Joe Fonti Claremont Football Club WAFL Free Agency Compensation pick (Flynn) 2023 4 59 Harvey Thomas Oakleigh Chargers Talent League ← 2024 1 18 Oliver Hannaford Greater Western Victoria Rebels Talent League 2024 1 19 Harrison Oliver Sandringham Dragons Talent LeagueFree agency compensation pick (Perryman) 2024 2 36 Jack Ough Greater Western Victoria Rebels Talent League← (draft)← 2024 5 71 Logan Smith Queanbeyan AFL Canberra Academy selection 2025 1 15 Oskar TaylorEastern RangesTalent League ← (draft)← Free agency compensation pick (de Koning) 2025 3 51 Finnegan DavisWestern JetsTalent League← (draft) 2025 5 59 Jake StringerAFL Redrafted player
Rookie draft selections
Giants AFL rookie draft selections Year Round Pick Player Recruited from League Notes 2012 1 1 Sam Frost Sandringham Dragons TAC Cup - 2013 7 51Joseph RedfernSydney Hills EaglesNEAFL - 2013 8 54 Zac WilliamsNarranderaRiverina Football League - 2014 1 1 Sam Schulz AFL Redrafted player 2016 1 8 Sam Reid GWS Giants NEAFL - 2016 2 26 Daniel LloydKillarney ValeBDAFL - 2017 1 2 Jake Barrett AFL - 2017 1 15 Tendai Mzungu AFL - 2017 2 32 Joel Patfull AFL Patfull retired on 12 October 2016, but was retained on GWS's 2017 list due to Total Player Payment obligations. 2018 1 15 Dylan Buckley AFL - 2018 2 29 Sam Ried AFL Redrafted player 2020 1 15 Jake Stein AFL Redrafted player 2020 2 28 Tom Sheridan AFL Redrafted player 2020 3 36 Zach Sproule AFL Redrafted player 2021 1 9 Sam Ried AFL Redrafted player 2021 2 24 Zach Sproule AFL Redrafted player 2022 1 13 Cooper Hamilton Bendigo Pioneers NAB League - 2022 2 29 Jacob Wehr AFL Redrafted player 2023 1 3 Phil Davis AFL Redrafted player 2024 1 14 Adam Kennedy AFL Redrafted player 2025 1 11 Lachlan Keeffe AFL Redrafted player 2025 2 22 Jacob Wehr AFL Redrafted player 2025 3 30 Josh Fahey AFL Redrafted player 2026 1 9 Conor Stone AFL Redrafted player
Category B rookie selections
During the trade period, clubs can nominate category B rookies to join their club.