GWS to punt on Davis if he’s fit
GWS has declared Phil Davis’ Grand Final nightmare will not impact on the looming decision over whether he plays against Hawthorn on Sunday.
Davis suffered a back spasm in last Friday night’s win over Collingwood that he felt in his hamstrings but the star defender is being given every chance to back up a week later after training strongly on Thursday.
The race against time draws some similarities to last year’s Grand Final, when Davis bravely took the field at the MCG to lead his team despite battling a calf problem that required an extraordinary fitness test just an hour before the decider against Richmond.
Davis’s call to play was a justifiable risk to take given the number of personnel issues banged-up GWS was battling across the board and the presence he felt he could provide as captain on the club’s biggest day. However, it didn’t stop him copping a mountain of criticism after he was ultimately outplayed by opponent Jack Riewoldt and Richmond romped to runaway premiership glory.
Giants coach Leon Cameron insisted on Thursday they are not scarred by the Davis fitness test and it would not make them hesitate about playing their strongest defender if they feel he is fit.
“It’s a different case. Phil clearly had a calf issue going into the Grand Final and it’s like anything. A lot of people will jump on when you make those bold decisions and they don’t come off,” said Cameron.
“We made some bold decisions on Grand Final day, you look back and say, ‘would you do it again? Do you think twice?’ Maybe. But it wasn’t just Phil. We probably took in about four players who were a little bit underdone and Richmond was too good.
“We can’t discount that. That’s the nature of the beast. You win some, you lose some.
“If Phil and the doctors and we are all really comfortable and ready to play against some of the keys against Hawthorn on the weekend then we’ll pick him. What’s not going to come into consideration is what happened 10 months ago.”
Davis’s own instincts and gut feel will again be trusted.
“Phil is good, he knows his body, he’s been around long enough to have a really good mature discussion and if we think he can compete at 100 per cent level against some really good quality Hawthorn talls then we’ll play him,” said Cameron.
“If not we can’t afford to risk someone to go in. A, because you lose him in the game and B, you might lose him for a couple of weeks.”
If passed fit Davis could be set for a blockbuster match-up against the Giants’ former top draft pick Jon Patton, who will line up against his old club for the first time on Sunday.