THE VALUE of Brett Deledio's experience in Saturday's Sydney derby elimination final far outweighs the risk of selecting the Greater Western Sydney midfielder, according to his co-captain Phil Davis.
Deledio has been picked to face the Swans at the SCG in what will be his first game since the Giants' round 20 win over Carlton, and just his fourth since round six, after battling more calf issues and a hamstring strain this year.
The dual All Australian's body has continually failed him since he arrived at GWS at the end of 2016, and after managing just seven games last year, he made nine appearances during the home-and-away season.
But despite the doubts surrounding his ability to get through a massive final, Davis backed the veteran to be a crucial contributor against Sydney.
"There'll be times when we have the momentum and times when the Swans have momentum, and if you can stay calm when it's not going with you, it can really help you stop them," he said.
"That's what we expect from Brett, one, with his actions, but two, in making sure the players around him are composed and ready to take on the challenge.
"He's a seriously established player and someone who has played a lot of good football, and any opposition player who has to match up on him will have their work cut out.
"He's a great player and some of his footy at the start of the year was outstanding, he looked like the Brett of old, so we're excited to have him back."
Deledio is likely to spend most of his time on a wing against the Swans, where he'll be a key part of the Giants' strongest area on the ground, along with Josh Kelly, Stephen Coniglio, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel, Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper.
When GWS won nine of 10 games starting with their successful trip to Adelaide to face the Crows in round 11, their contested footy and tackling numbers were at season-high levels.
They laid 96 tackles alone against the Crows.
Davis, who will resume his long-running duel with Sydney superstar Lance Franklin on Saturday, said the Giants' defence is counting on the team's onballers and forwards to bring that kind of intensity to the derby.
"I think (strong) contested ball and tackling (in the midfield) is exactly the formula we need to play our best footy, and the rest of us feed off that," he said.
"The forwards get more opportunities and it's much easier for the backs to control and defend the ground.
"You look at what Richmond were able to do on Thursday night, they controlled that area of the game after Hawthorn started really strongly.
"Their backs were able to control their 50 because the pressure was so good (up the ground).
"From my vantage point I get a great look at how our midfield is leading the charge in contested ball and tackling."
Davis isn't just an important asset to the Giants for his ability to limit Franklin's influence, as the offensive side of his game has greatly improved this season.
The 28-year-old set career-high marks for possessions and rebound 50s in 2018, and if he can use his intercept marking and distribution skills to set his team up from the back half, it will be an added bonus for GWS.
"When unpressured ball comes into your defensive 50, it automatically removes your ability to read the cues," he said.
"Your job immediately reverts to stopping your man and not worrying about the ball as much because you've got to try and prevent that connection.
"When there is pressure (up the ground), you get to play football a bit more and read the play to make good decisions that aren't necessarily dictated by your opponent."
