Jesse Hogan’s first off-season at GWS has been a quiet one, with the key forward in full training and impressing coach Leon Cameron.
Hogan played seven games for Fremantle in 2020 and has dealt with injury and discipline issues for the majority of his career.
He was traded to the Giants for pick 54 after a frustrating two years with the Dockers.
The GWS coach is excited by what a healthy Hogan could accomplish in 2021.
“He’s had his first pre-season in a long, long time. He trains Monday to Friday which is great,” Cameron told Sportsday.
“He’s living with Shane Mumford so you can make of that how you will, it’s been a really good thing though.
“He’s getting better and better every session that he has and no doubt early in the piece we’re looking forward to seeing what he can really do.
“Clearly, injuries held him back and other challenges and he wanted a fresh start and we were looking forward to giving him that opportunity.”
The Giants are once again dealing with injuries to key midfielders, with Lachie Whitfield suffering a bruised liver in a training incident.
Cameron hopes the former number one draftee will be available for Round 1.
“He’s probably too brave for his own good Lachie sometimes, he just backed back into a pack and got hit in the rib area,” Cameron said.
“We thought it was just his collarbone, he had a scan and he was fine, but he woke up on Saturday and was really sore.
“We sent him off to the doctors and another scan and they picked up a bruised liver which is very significant.
“In terms of timelines, it’s hard to say, he’s probably going to miss the next month.
“He’d be highly unlikely to play against Brisbane down in Canberra in our pre-season game, but he is a chance to maybe play or be ready for the week after before the season starts.
“In saying that it is a week-to-week proposition and we’ll be guided by the doctors and whether they say he’s ready for contact.”
GWS hosts St Kilda in Round 1 at Giants Stadium.