GWS coach Leon Cameron reckons his players have the steel to stomach their bitter AFL grand final flop.
Cameron believes the 89-point capitulation to Richmond on Saturday could even be the making of his fledgling club.
“It makes them hungry, which is exactly what you need,” Cameron said.
“We start along with everyone else next year, we start equal.
“It’s the hungriest club that gets there in the end. Richmond have clearly got that done today.”
Giants players collapsed in tears in their dressing rooms after being pummelled into submission by the Tigers, who won 17.12 (114) to 3.7 (25).
On their biggest day, the Giants kicked their lowest-ever score.
But Cameron said the GWS brand shouldn’t take a hammering like the grand final team did.
“We’re rapt that we’re playing on the big stage but disappointed that we didn’t live up to our end of the bargain and bring a better spectacle,” Cameron said.
“It’s just disappointing because it’s not the end you want to have to a year that has had some really good moments.
“We are only eight-years-old.
“And we understand we are in the most interesting part of Australia to grow Australian Rules footy, in western Sydney, with all the codes that are operating out of there.
“But we’re on the right track.
“So I don’t think it tarnishes our brand. It enhanced our brand over the last month but we do accept we need to be a bit better.”
Cameron was adamant his players would eventually find motivation from their defeat.
“There is definitely an appetite for them to keep trying to grow and get there … I’m confident that definitely will happen,” he said.
“We need to let the dust settle, address what happened today at a later date, and then move on.
“That is all you can do in this business.”
Co-captain Phil Davis was clearly troubled by a calf injury but Cameron had no regrets about selecting him.
“I backed the captain in,” he said.
“I will continue to back our captain in. He is not the reason why we got beaten by 80 odd points.”
Nor would Cameron offer any excuses for a team which battled to find top gear after a gruelling finals campaign.
“There’s a few boys a bit banged up,” he said.
“We were beaten all over the ground and they (Richmond) cashed in when they needed to and put us right on the back foot.
“We can either wallow, or we can learn from our first venture into playing in that Saturday in September.
“And we know how hard it is to get back there. They (GWS players) will want to get better, they will want to chase the dream that Richmond has got.”