GWS hope young defender Sam Taylor will leave hospital later this week after being floored by a mysterious bacterial infection, which will prevent him from playing AFL for at least a month.
Former co-captain Callan Ward and reigning best-and-fairest winner Tim Taranto could both return on Sunday, when the Giants face Port Adelaide on the Gold Coast.
Ward appears a certain starter, while coach Leon Cameron is yet to decide whether fit-again star Taranto needs a tune-up after recovering from the shoulder reconstruction he underwent in March.
Taylor’s comeback won’t come until the second half of the season.
“It’s definitely knocked him around a little bit,” Cameron told reporters.
“It’s one of those strange ones. He started out with some joint issues. He was really sore … then they found there was something more sinister going on.
“It was a bit of a surprise … his health and wellbeing is at the forefront of our minds, to make sure he’s OK.”
Cameron praised club doctor Bassam Moses for getting to the bottom of the 21-year-old’s issue quickly.
“It looks like they’re on top of the problem … he was put into hospital over the weekend and hopefully he’s out Thursday or Friday,” he said.
“No doubt he’s on the improve, but 48 hours (later) could be different.”
Cameron backed veteran Lachie Keeffe to step up once again and cover the void left by the versatile 21-year-old Taylor, who missed the Giants’ last-start win over Hawthorn.
GWS’s premiership campaign is back on track after consecutive wins and their star-studded midfield will soon become even more impressive.
Cameron suggested Ward, who played three games after returning from a knee reconstruction then was ordered to skip round five, will be available.
Taranto will also play for the first time since injuring his shoulder in a pre-season clash with the Swans, but it remains to be seen whether it is a scratch match in Sydney or a clash with ladder-leading Port.
“We’ll make that decision during the week. He’s in really good shape,” Cameron said.
“We know he’s got that running ability, that he can adapt straight way.
“He’s got one of the biggest motors at our club … and those two-way players who can play offence and defence are gold.”
Taranto is among a handful of players in the league who benefited from the COVID-19 shutdown.
“It’s worked out really well for someone with a long-term injury … Tim was clearly going to miss 15 or 16 games and he might only end up missing five or six,” Cameron said.
