'He was a liability': GWS captain slammed over grand final gamble

GWS Giants captain Phil Davis was a game-time decision before Saturday’s AFL Grand Final due to a lingering leg injury, and league great Shane Crawford believes his inclusion in the side ultimately cost the team dearly.

Crawford, who won a premiership with Hawthorn in 2008, said Davis was a ‘liability’ and that the Giants would have been better served picking someone fully fit for their clash with Richmond.

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Speaking on Channel 9’s Sport Sunday, Crawford said he didn’t like it when players were allowed to make the final call on their own fitness, particularly for matches as important as the grand final.

“I think it's totally up to the coaches and the coaching panel to make those decisions, because of course you want to play in a grand final,” he said.

“Stephen Coniglio, he was coming from a long way back, so I understand him making that call.

“But a player like Phil Davis played on the weekend, he was a liability unfortunately for the Giants.

“He had a good year, super important for them, but they shouldn't have played him.

“You can't trust the players, because they're always going to make the wrong decisions, they always think they can contribute.

“Phil Davis was the one saying, 'I can get through, I can play', and then his opponent bobs up and kicks five goals.

“He was a bit of a liability. You've gotta leave it to the coaches.”

Devastating fallout from GWS Giants grand final loss

Players were in tears. Toby Greene was said to be “openly sobbing”.

As family and friends filed into the GWS dressing rooms after their 89-point loss in the AFL grand final, the emotions were raw and on full display.

In devastating scenes, players wept into their loved ones’ arms and consoled each other after the embarrassing display.

Even the most-hardened of players let the tears flow as the full extent of their grand final drubbing sunk in.

You should be proud of yourself, proud of your team and you can hold your head high,” Greene’s mother reportedly told him, according to the Herald Sun.

“He will take it hard and that’s Toby. This is his life. He loves football and losing hurts.”

Veteran Heath Shaw said he’d do his best to make sure his teammates knew what they’d achieved this year.

“There won’t be a lot of words. Looking at guys, you put your arm around them,” Shaw said.

“You see the eyes well up a little bit. It’s hard to say anything because you know how they are feeling with the way this game panned out.

“As disappointed as everyone is in that back room there, it’s hard to put your arms around them and say everything is going to be OK, we’ve had a good year. We’ve had a really, really good year.”