Greater Western Sydney Giants coach Leon Cameron believes this Saturday night’s Preliminary Final against the Western Bulldogs could go right down to the wire.
Spotless Stadium will be the stage for two of the AFL’s hottest young teams to battle for a place in the 2016 Grand Final, in front of an expected sell-out crowd.
If the Giants advance to the decider, it will be a remarkable achievement for a club that just three years ago was sitting dead last in a world of trouble.
If the Bulldogs manage to prevail, it too will be an incredible sporting story having not appeared in a Grand Final since way back in 1961.
One thing is certain, history will be made come 8pm tomorrow night.
“Everyone knows there’s no tomorrow on Saturday for one team,” Cameron said.
“It’s a great story for the AFL that there’s going to be a new kid on the block come Saturday night, which is great for the competition.
“It’s two exciting young sides that play a very aggressive, fast brand of footy. I think the spectacle is going to be fantastic for football followers.”
The Bulldogs advanced to the Preliminary Final following a 107-84 win over Hawthorn. It was the second straight week the Footscray-based club had defeated a team which featured in last year’s Grand Final.
Cameron, who was at the MCG for last Friday’s Semi Final, was glowing in his praise for the Bulldogs.
“They were outstanding… their form all year has been really good,” he said.
“To knock off Hawthorn the way they did was simply awesome.
“They’ve beaten the past two Grand Final sides from last year in the space of two weeks.
“I think you’ll find the game will come down to the last five minutes. It’s going to be a huge challenge on Saturday for us.”
The Bulldogs finished the regular season in seventh position and have been one of the surprise packets of the Finals so far.
Former Western Bulldog turned Giant, Callan Ward, said he’s been impressed with what his old club have managed to do in 2016.
“I personally love the way they play footy,” the 26-year-old said.
“Their pressure is extremely high, they tackle hard and hit the ball hard too.
“I think that suits us really well because we play a physical brand of football as well.”
The GWS Giants take on the Western Bulldogs at 5.15pm this Saturday at Spotless Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. The game is broadcast live on Fox Sports.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
