Former Melbourne star David Schwarz has accused the Greater Western Sydney players of getting ‘’fat heads’’ and thinking way too far ahead, following their crushing defeat to the Adelaide Crows.
The premiership favourites were given a stark reality check, succumbing to a 56 point loss at Adelaide Oval, despite leading by 14 points at quarter time.
“They’re going to be hunted and they were pantsed on the weekend,” Schwarz said on SEN’s The Run Home.
“Were they a bunch of fat heads? Probably. They probably got too far ahead of themselves and they didn’t realise, and underestimated how disciplined and how well drilled the Adelaide side was.
“I reckon when they heard Tex Walker was out that head might have just grown another inch. Disappointing.”
Schwarz reiterated that it is simply not going to be a Giants’ premiership precession, as some people it the media have suggested.
“We spoke about this many, many times…about the Giants, it’s not a lay down misere that they are just going to walk in, hold the premiership aloft, walk off into the sunset, and sitting down at Kings Cross having lattes,”.
“It ain’t going to happen for Greater Western Sydney like that, they’re going to have their work cut out.”
Former GWS assistant coach Mark Williams felt the younger players struggled to do the basics, after a very successful 2016, but has backed them to come out fresh and with a different mindset against the Gold Coast on Saturday.
“It may well have been a little bit of young boys coming into the next big season after the one that they had, and not exactly sure about going back to the basics and starting from scratch, rather than thinking they were already on 15 or 16 wins,” he said.
“They got a kick up the bum, there’s no doubt.
“For me it’s basically freshen them up this week, I would certainly be doing that (drawing a line underneath the Adelaide game).
“Boys that’s not our game, show them a couple of points and move on…get their minds right again and show the competition what they can do.”