As the dust settles on another manic AFL trade period and GWS nurse next month's No.2 overall selection in the AFL draft while preparing a new home for gun recruit Brett Deledio, a strange anomaly has arisen from the Giants' list of 2014 recruits.
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All but one of the youngsters drafted by GWS at the end of 2014 were shipped off during this year's trade period as the club parted ways with nine players to free up significant cap and playing list room.
The Giants had six selections in the draft two years ago, including three of the top seven picks.
As of Thursday afternoon, only academy selection Jeremy Finlayson remained at GWS from that batch of graduates. He was the second last man chosen in the 2014 draft, selected with pick 85.
Finlayson played in the club's NEAFL grand final win last month but is yet to make his AFL debut.
Version 2014 of the AFL draft certainly wasn't the Giants' finest in terms of star recruits, although, in fairness, they weren't picking from an overly strong pool of players. Only three of the six drafted to GWS that year have gone on to play AFL football.
Hindsight reveals they overlooked Collingwood's Jordan De Goey, Western Bulldogs premiership duo Toby McLean and Caleb Daniel, and hard-nosed Adelaide Crow Jake Lever, among others.
But hindsight is an unfair fallback option when it comes to the draft.
Having said all that, the Giants list is strong enough that it can lose an entire draft crop and survive with barely a scratch. Earlier draftees are developing as potential superstars of the league, and Deledio joins the likes of Shane Mumford, Heath Shaw and Steve Johnson to have joined the club in recent seasons.
Such a rapid cull wasn't the original plan, but the AFL decreed this year that GWS must trim their list 12 months ahead of schedule as the fledgling club gradually comes back into line with its league counterparts.
"It's a bi-product of the AFL bringing forward by 12 months us having to bring our list back to 40 and also our salary cap dropping," Giants head of football Wayne Campbell said at the conclusion of the trade period.
"We've only been informed of that over the last 12 months so we've probably had to cut a bit quicker than what we thought and that's probably resulted in those boys going for other opportunities at other clubs.
"We're pretty well positioned."
GWS had picks four, six and seven in 2014, and used them to select Jarrod Pickett, Caleb Marchbank and Paul Ahern respectively.
Ahern and Pickett are yet to make their AFL debuts, while Marchbank only managed seven games at the Giants before his move to Carlton this week that helped facilitate the Deledio trade.
Pickett also moved to the Blues as part of the Marchbank deal while Ahern will play with North Melbourne from 2017.
The Giants also picked up Pat McKenna and Jack Steele in 2014 with picks 23 and 24, but both have departed GWS to seek greener pastures.
Steele was exchanged to St Kilda early on in the trade period while McKenna ended up at Melbourne on a hectic final trade day.
DEPARTED GIANTS FROM THE 2014 AFL DRAFT
Jarrod Pickett
Drafted at: No.4
New club: Carlton Blues
Position: Small forward/midfield
AFL games: 0
Who is he: Speedster with plenty of flair who had a strong NEAFL year in 2015, but picked up a serious foot injury in April this year and missed the rest of the season.
Caleb Marchbank
Drafted at: No.6
New club: Carlton Blues
Position: Key defender
AFL games: 7
Who is he: Big-bodied defender who managed five AFL games in his debut AFL season, but was restricted to just two this year after battling ankle and shoulder trouble.
Paul Ahern
Drafted at: No.7
New club: North Melbourne Kangaroos
Position: Midfield
AFL games: 0
Who is he: Polished midfielder who recently had a second knee reconstruction in 2016, and will miss most of his first year at the Kangaroos.
Pat McKenna
Drafted at: No.23
New club: Melbourne Demons
Position: Half-forward
AFL games: 0
Who is he: Former Australian under-19s cricket captain equally adept with the Sherrin. Oozes potential and should get more opportunity at the Demons.
Jack Steele
Drafted at: No.24
New club: St Kilda Saints
Position: Midfield
AFL games: 17
Who is he: Came through the Giants' Canberra academy and almost established himself as a member of the best 22. Suffered a bad foot injury late in the season and needs to get that right before he makes his St Kilda debut.
