IMPORTANT defender Nick Haynes could be a shock inclusion in Greater Western Sydney's team to face Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
Haynes, who missed the Giants' win over North Melbourne before the club's mid-season bye last week, injured his ankle against Adelaide in round 12 and was expected to be sidelined for at least another game or two.
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Matt Buntine and debutant Jake Stein came in against the Kangaroos and performed well in the GWS backline but, as one of the League's best intercept defenders, Haynes is an automatic inclusion when fit.
Nick Haynes wrapped up by big Blue Charlie Curnow in round nine. Picture: AFL Photos
The 27-year-old has made a swift recovery and has trained this week, so coach Leon Cameron indicated on Wednesday that the signs were pointing towards a return for Haynes against the Bombers.
We're not babies anymore, we need to stand up and be men, and Thursday night footy against the Bombers promotes that opportunity - Leon Cameron
"He's an interesting one, he's probably ahead of schedule and has trained really well which is really positive. We'll just wait and see how he's pulled up," Cameron said.
"If we feel as though he's ready to play a full game, then we'll definitely pick him.
"He's a quality player, he's been in All Australian contention and he's a really good player for us."
The clash with the Bombers will be just the second time the Giants have played on a Thursday night (the first was in a final against the Crows in 2017), and they are yet feature on the Friday night footy stage this season. But Cameron has welcomed the extra pressure that comes with playing in prime time.
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"It's exciting for our guys and there's going to be a lot of eyes watching, but the more experiences (like that) we have the better off we are," he said.
"We are an eight-year-old club and we're not babies anymore, we need to stand up and be men, and Thursday night footy against the Bombers promotes that opportunity.
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"We're not worried about it, maybe three or four years ago it might have been a bit more overwhelming with the bigger crowd and more media attention, but we've been in that position for the last two or three years now.
"Now the challenge for us is to make sure we stand up to it, and we're getting better every year.
"We understand it's going to be scrutinised heavily but we need to bring that on our footy club because ultimately that makes us better."
