GREATER Western Sydney is hopeful of regaining star midfielder Josh Kelly for the crunch clash with Port Adelaide as the Giants reflected on the 'frustrating' late decisions that hurt them in their loss to Hawthorn on Saturday.
Tom Green's late bump on James Sicily led to a down-the-ground free kick for the Hawks which Luke Breust converted for a critical goal in the Giants' six-point defeat.
That decision followed two high tackle calls on Jai Newcombe and Jack Ginnivan but it's the Green bump on Sicily that has received the most attention.
The Giants star was applying perspective when asked about it at training on Tuesday.
"I have watched it back. I don't know if my opinion is the most objective so I'm not sure it's worth anything and I understand that umpiring is a tough gig," Green said.
"If it's coming down to one or two decisions at the end, I think we've done something wrong anyway, so we just need to be better across the four quarters."
The AFL on Sunday ticked off on the decision as the right one, but Giants veteran Callan Ward wasn't quite as diplomatic as Green.
"Yeah they're pretty frustrating, I was sitting on the bench thinking 'no way' but that's just the way footy goes sometimes. It's tough for umpires, especially late in the game I'm sure they're feeling the pressure as well," he said.
"He chose to bump him, that's the risk you take. Sometimes it's play on, sometimes it's a down-the-ground free kick."
The defeat has placed extra emphasis for GWS on securing a win at home against Port Adelaide on Sunday as it sits inside the top eight purely on percentage.
Two-time club champion Kelly is ahead of his recovery schedule and is pushing hard for a recall from a calf injury with Jack Buckley also a strong chance to join him as an inclusion to take on the Power.
Kelly's presence in particular would be handy for the likes of Green and Ward as they get set to take on Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis and the returning Connor Rozee.
Green's tally of four goals from the midfield this season has been criticised by some pundits but the gun midfielder's disposal and clearance numbers, considering he came off early against Sydney in round eight, are still among the elite of the competition.
"I think it's going OK. I think this year I've got more attention from opposition teams than I have in the past so that's been something I'm really working through. I always want to be better, but I think I'm still contributing really well every week," he said.
"I'd love to be kicking more goals. Sometimes the different roles in our midfield means it's something that hasn't presented itself as often as I would have liked so far this year. The best midfielders are damaging and kick goals but there's also an understanding that my role each week might be different."
As for Ward, it'd be natural for him to have concerns about the Giants' form that has seen them lose four of their last five games, but he isn't panicking about the prospect of not finishing his illustrious career with a premiership.
"I think we understand there's always lulls in seasons for teams. I've been around long enough to know that things can turn and that things will turn. I'd love to play in a premiership and coming to the end of my career I'd love it to be this year. I think about it a bit," he said.
The Giants' concerning run of late, outside of the stirring win away to Geelong in round 11, prompted criticism from football director James Bartel, who said 'team defence is letting them down'.
"It's definitely fair commentary from Jimmy and he's got every right to say it and he wouldn't be alone in thinking that so it's something we've just got to rectify. He understands that we can better and should be better," Green said.
The Giants' meeting with Port will revive memories of their 23-point semi-final win away from home last year that came just a month after a 51-point defeat on the same ground.
"It's exciting. We've been the two sides of it against them. They're fantastic players and it'll be a big challenge for us that we're looking forward to. While we aren't in the best form at the minute it's games like this that can give you real confidence going forward," Green said.
