Giants and Swans recall AFL big guns

Mar 1, 2017 - 8:57 AM Pre-season AFL favourites Greater Western Sydney have the chance to make an early statement of intent after selecting their strongest available squad for Friday's pre-season derby with Sydney.

Of the Giants who participated in last season's preliminary final and are eligible to play this weekend, only injured youngster Jacob Hooper and Sam Reid weren't named in their initial 29-man squad.

Sydney have also named a loaded squad including 14 members of their 2016 grand final team.

Former co-captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack and young star Isaac Heeney were among the few established and uninjured players not named.

Spearhead Lance Franklin and defenders Dane Rampe and Heath Grundy were among those listed in the Swans squad, who didn't contest their first game.

The flood of talent returning to the Giants lineup includes co-captains Phil Davis and Callan Ward, key forward Jeremy Cameron, All Australian Toby Greene and veterans Shane Mumford, Heath Shaw, Ryan Griffen and Steve Johnson.

Ruckman Mumford and forward Johnson will each have their first run after undergoing off-season surgery.

"Shane had an elbow operation and then Steve had his thumb done, so they've still been able to do a fair bit of running which is really pleasing," Giants' coach Leon Cameron said.

GWS have also found room to include their two highest picks from last years draft, No.2 Tim Taranto and No.5 Will Setterfield.

"There's probably a number of young players that played really well in the first round that are a little bit unlucky, but there's also some young fellows that push on as well," said Cameron.

The Giants won the last two Sydney derbies in 2016 by over 30 points with the most recent win coming in a qualifying final.

"Last year's final was hard to take, but we've moved on from that and we've learnt from it," Swan Callum Mills said.

"They are a great team and premiership favourites for a reason."

Mills said Franklin was excited at having his first run of the campaign after coming back from a shoulder injury.

"He's pumped to get out there, he gets really itchy when he's not playing games," Mills said.

Source: AAP