
The GWS Giants want to go one better in 2022, and are eying off a top four position with some products of Canberra leading the charge.
Former Eastlake's player Harry Himmelberg helped the Giants to the semi-finals last season and said they wanted to go even deeper into finals when the competition kicks off on March 19.
Advertisement
"We did it the hard way last year," he said.
"We left our run really late and we had two really gutsy wins towards the end of the year and we showed some real tikka. So I think if we can sort out some of the things that let us down earlier in the season last year and obviously keep a really healthy, fit list, which we're looking like we will, we'll go deeper.
"We're aiming for top four this year, so that's probably our main goal to make sure that we really cement ourselves in the top eight and not just scrape in."
MORE IN CANBERRA SPORT:
- 3215 days in the making: Matildas headed back to capital
- Australian cricketer takes two in Canberra first grade return
- Why Carlton's former co-captains still debrief each AFLW match despite club change
- Australian Olympic skier caught in Russia-Ukraine conflict
- Stakeholders, clubs want transparency from Capital Football
This season Himmelberg is again joined by Canberra's Tom Green, and new draftee Josh Fahey.
The 25-year-old, along with other Giants players, dialed into more than 30 schools and 20 clubs across the ACT and regional NSW hoping to inspire more future GWS players.
The forward still remembers the day the Sydney Swans visited his school, and he emphasised the importance of seeing a path from Canberra to the AFL.
"It helps a lot. I know there's a lot of young kids that make the decision to go play AusKick because an AFL player came and spoke to them," he said.
"Talent, the facilities and opportunities for players in Canberra are getting better and better. [ACT players being drafted] obviously puts Canberra on the map, so I think a lot of kids in Canberra will start realising that it's pretty possible and that it's quite a good area to come from."
A new face hoping to join the mix for the Giants this season, and play a part in getting them into the top four will be draft pick Cooper Hamilton.
The Victorian - who ran the second-fastest two kilometre time trial ever at the draft combine - will look add to the Giants' defence and midfield. He, however, was not putting any pressure on himself for a debut.
"I'm feeling really good, they have a really good program here so I've absolutely loved it. I'm the fittest I have ever been," he said.
"At this stage they're just trying to develop me as a player. So I may play this year maybe, obviously I want to play, but at the end of the day I'm just here to learn as much as I can and get better as not only a footballer but as a person.
"The team we have right now, it's a young team, one of the youngest team's in the league at the moment. It's a very strong group, so there's not too many holes that need to be filled. So I guess I'll just learn from the ones that are above me ... to hopefully debut sometime."
GWS Giants Canberra fixtures 2022

Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.