Giants AFL list in good shape

Sep 18, 2017 - 7:56 AM Greater Western Sydney reckon the heat will be off the AFL club's recruitment team next year with Josh Kelly becoming the latest young star to commit to the Giants.

All-Australian wingman Kelly ended months of speculation on Monday by signing a two-year contract extension with GWS.

It was another triumph for culture over cash, with Kelly becoming the latest Giant to reject more lucrative external offers to stay with the AFL's youngest club.

Kelly apart, the list of players committed to the club till the end of 2019 includes fellow midfield stars Dylan Shiel and Stephen Coniglio, plus Brett Deledio and Nick Haynes.

Key forwards Jeremy Cameron and Jon Patton and midfielder Lachie Whitfield will be around until at least the end of 2020 and midfield aces Callan Ward and Tom Scully are locked up locked up till the end of 2021.

Forward Toby Green is probably the pick of the younger Giants stars coming off contract at the end of next year.

"Right now we've got 22 or 24 I think of our priority players signed at least until the end of 2019," Giants CEO David Matthews told AAP.

"So the year 2018 I don't think is going to be a year like this where we've had to really deal with speculation over one of our young leaders all year.

"I think we've got our list into a really good position and it's decisions like Josh's this week that set a bit of a tone for future negotiations as well.

"Because a lot of our players want to continue to play with Josh Kelly, so as much as it's important for Josh Kelly to decide to stay with us, it's important for the other players too."

Keeping Kelly continued the Giants' high success rate in retaining their most prized players.

Midfielder Adam Treloar's defection to Collingwood at the end of 2015, apart, the Giants have hung onto almost all of their emerging stars over the past couple of years.

"We're finding players accepting less to stay at the club because of the culture we've got, because of the Sydney lifestyle and hopefully because of the prospect of success," Matthews said.

Source: AAP