'Sad and embarrassing': Brutal fallout from GWS' grand final shocker
A memorable day for Richmond was a nightmare for the GWS Giants, with their first AFL grand final quickly becoming a day to forget.
While there were some mitigating circumstances the Giants could be forgiven for bringing up, notably Lachie Whitfield’s appendix surgery hindering his preparation for the final, it was nonetheless a record-breaking day for all the wrong reasons.
On what should have been a banner day for GWS, regardless of the result, they recorded their lowest score in the club’s history, a heartbreaking result when the countless drubbings the club endured in their early years are taken to account.
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Their final score of 3.7.25 was the lowest grand final score by any side since Collingwood in 1960, and the equal-sixth lowest grand final score on record.
It was also the lowest grand final score of the AFL era.
The Giants previous lowest score in an AFL game was set just eight weeks earlier at Manuka Oval in Canberra, when they were belted by Hawthorn as snow fell around them.
They could only manage 4.5.29 that evening in the nation’s capital.
While acknowledging that the result was about as far from ideal as possible, AFL legend Leigh Matthews tipped the Giants would be better off for the experience.
“It’s a sad and embarrassing day because it’s hard enough to get here, but they’ll bounce back,” Matthews said on radio station 3AW.
“It’s not the be-all and end-all and only one game of footy.”
Unfortunately for the Giants, other AFL fans weren’t as gracious as Matthews towards the AFL’s newest team.
Many fans on social media were quick to mine a few laughs at the Giants’ expense - even the Victoria Police.
Victoria Police is currently searching for the GWS Giants after they went missing from the MCG on Saturday afternoon. They were last seen trying to make a #bigbigsound but were instead quaking in their boots. NSW Police Force do you have any leads?
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) September 28, 2019
Nice of #GWS to send their under 17s to the #AFLGF to have a go. Bold move.
— Matthew Howard (@MatthewamHoward) September 28, 2019
Just looked at the score @CollingwoodFC think you’d have made more of a game of it #aflgrandfinal2019
— Jo Hall (@Jo_Hall9) September 28, 2019
Giants captain Phil Davis gracious in defeat
Clearly hurting after a painful loss, GWS captain Phil Davis said he was proud of his club for coming as far as they had, but congratulated the Tigers on their second flag in three years.
Speaking on Channel 7 after the game, Davis said the team would regroup and be ready to try again in 2020 with the likes of injured duo Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio fit and firing.
“I’m so proud of my whole football club, from the chairman all the way through to my coach and my footy manager and especially my players,” Davis said.
“I look at Cal Ward and it makes me emotional.
“He’s the heart and soul of the club and we lost him early in the year, then we lost Cogs (Stephen Coniglio) as well, and then Brett (Deledio). They all deserved more.
“We had to fight through so many different things, whether it be Lachie’s appendix last week or whatever it is, we’ve just had to keep fighting different paths but that’s what holds you together.
“That’s the glue that will hold the club together and hopefully we can get a bit of luck and also improve. We have to improve because we want to be back.”
