GREATER Western Sydney star Shane Mumford has been rewarded for his outstanding early-season form with a two-year contract extension.
Mumford's current deal was set to expire at the end of the season, and with the ruckman dispelling any doubts over his recovery from last year's serious ankle injury, the Giants moved quickly to lock him away until the end of the 2018 season.
The 29-year-old missed the second half of last season after left ankle surgery, and admitted he was anxious to see if he could get back to his best.
Mumford told AFL.com.au that his road back has tested his mental resolve, especially when he felt pain in the same reconstructed ankle in his first hit-out of the year against the Sydney Swans in the NAB Challenge.
"That first game back when I hurt it was a bit scary," Mumford said.
"Thankfully it ended up being something completely different, so I think I was just being a bit of a sook.
"Two weeks later I was running around and it was fine, and to be back out there and now not have it worry me at all is amazing."
Arguably the Giants' most important player, Mumford's combative style around stoppages has shown the way for the club's midfielders in recent years, but he hasn't always had enough support at contested ball-winning situations.
That looks to have changed in 2016 thanks to a huge emphasis on the Giants improving their hardness, especially at stoppages and clearances, over the pre-season.
GWS are ranked equal seventh in the competition this year for contested possessions per game (up from 18th last season) and equal second for clearances (up from 14th), and Mumford believes the Giants' new style of footy can help break the club's finals duck.
"I think that's the type of footy that has shown it wins finals," Mumford said.
"That hard, contested style of game, plenty of tackles, plenty of contests, and it's generally the team that does that best that does win finals from my experiences.
"As long as we come with that same intent, we're going to put ourselves in a good position each week to get ourselves there."
Mumford said the most pleasing aspect of the footy the Giants are playing this season is their hunger to win one on one contests, and an appetite to put the team's best interests above all else.
Nowhere was that more evident than in last week's 75-point win over Hawthorn where the home side were plus-39 in contested possessions, plus-18 in clearances, laid 22 more tackles and had almost 100 more disposals.
"It wasn't so much the win (over Hawthorn), it was the way we went about it," he said.
"For us to really attack them and win the contested ball count like we did, it's a massive indicator that we're on the right track.
"The way we attacked the ball and attacked the man when we didn't have it was great to watch.
"I think that's definitely a corner that we've turned.
"In the past, players probably loved the goal celebrations or running and having bounces or whatever it might be.
"Now blokes are really getting around each other after someone chases the opposition down and lays a big tackle.
"We're really rewarding the little things like that more than we have in the past."
