3 minute read
After getting back to the basics of speed and pressure, GWS have turned a corner and young gun Darcy Jones believes they can do something special.
Rediscovering their need for speed has Greater Western Sydney's finals bid back on track.
And young gun Darcy Jones believes it can help the Giants go deep into September.
The Giants were among the early premiership fancies after backing up a preliminary final appearance last year with a strong start to this season.
But then they experienced a slump and had lost six of their previous eight games before responding with a superb comeback win over second-placed Carlton last week to entrench themselves back in the finals race.
"It was a good reminder of what we can do at our best if we play how we want to play," Jones told AAP.
"I'm hoping that can be the start of a good run to end the season."
Jones hailed the Giants' leaders, coach Adam Kingsley and captain Toby Greene, for steadying the ship.
"It was just getting back to how we normally play, what we were seeing at the back end of last year and that was just speed and pressure in the forward line and not letting it (the ball) get out," he said.
"It started with Adam Kingsley. In that little rough patch we had, he was always talking about how we need to get back to what we do best, and that was speed and pressure, that sort of stuff, just to turn our season around.
"Toby Greene was also doing that sort of stuff. Like he'd bring us together to say 'let's not get too down on ourselves. Like it's not the end of the world. We've still got time to turn this around.'
"That's part of the reason we were able to win on the weekend."
Speed and pressure has suited Jones, who dons an eyecatching orange-and-charcoal helmet, just fine.
The youngster from Western Australia is nimble, tricksy and has a neat sidestep to boot - showing no signs of the ACL tear that ruined his first year in the AFL system.
"I love it at this level," he said. "It's quick, it's fast and exciting."
Jones was among GWS' best against Carlton, in just his fifth game and will take to the MCG for the first time on Sunday. He knows the importance of backing up against cellar dwellars Richmond.
"It's not just one week that'll kind of get us going again. It's multiple weeks playing this brand of footy," he said.
"I'm hoping that we can all take in this momentum that we brought from the weekend into Richmond.
"Everyone's so confident, and especially after the weekend's just so excited to make a charge for finals - and hopefully the grand final."
