GREATER Western Sydney's band of gun onballers has started to tune up in recent weeks, but over the past fortnight they've had a rather large addition give them a massive presence around the footy.
With Rory Lobb injured, Dawson Simpson was recalled against Brisbane in round 15 and carried his dominant NEAFL form into the match against one of the competition's best ruckmen, Stefan Martin.
Athleticism might not be one of Simpson's greatest assets but his size and strength around stoppages makes him a mountain of a challenge for the opposition.
He's averaged 3.8 clearances in four rare appearances this year, which ranks him fourth behind Collingwood's All Australian fancy Brodie Grundy (5.2), Martin (5.1) and Gold Coast big man Jarrod Witts (4.3).
The Giants destroyed Hawthorn 51-28 in the clearances last week, and while co-captain Callan Ward led the way with 11, Simpson had five, the fifth-most of any player on the ground.
Simpson told AFL.com.au his work in close is an area he prides himself on, even if he knows his contributions will go largely unnoticed by those outside the club.
"It's a bit of joke amongst the ruckmen that it's a thankless job because we feed the mids and they get all the glory," he said with a laugh.
"But honestly, it is a compliment when you see those big numbers (in clearances) and all the boys have a had a good day.
"Being a ruckman, you've got a lot of responsibility and pressure, but it's a real privilege.
"It's very clear when a ruckman is on top and you can give your team such a boost if you're dominating.
"It's a real confidence booster."
Simpson faces an enormous test when the Giants take on West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday, with Nic Naitanui just about the perfect opposite of the former Geelong ruckman.
The star Eagle is a jumping machine, which allows him to hand feed his midfielders, and is as gifted as they come in areas the Giant is not, but Simpson isn't intimidated by his younger opponent.
"You know what you get from Nic Nat, he's an athletic beast and he's really strong," Simpson said.
"He gets around the ground really well and can be damaging with not many possessions, so he's a very dangerous player.
"His hit outs to advantage are really crucial to their midfield so that’s something we've had a good look at, to see what I can do to nullify him and give us an advantage.
"When he's on top and his confidence is up he's very hard to stop, so you've got to have a lot of different tactics to use against him.
"You can't just with the same things every time.
"At centre bounces jumping to the highest point is his advantage, so I've got to find a way to take that away from him and bring the contest to my advantage.
"It's a game of chess playing in the ruck and it always has been.
"You've got to have different techniques you can use and if something is not working I'll change it up, and just keep throwing myself at it and trying to be physically."
For a man who has managed just 34 games midway through his 11th season in the League, Simpson said he's used to being doubted, but earning and fighting for every opportunity is what he loves to do.
"It's been something I've had to do for my whole career," he said.
"It's easy to drop your bundle when you think about all the hard work you put in and you're not getting a game, and those thoughts creep do into my mind, but I quickly get rid of them.
"If I do my best each week, even if I'm not getting a game, I can come out of this career knowing I gave my best.
"If I didn't make it because I wasn't good enough then I can live with that, but if I didn't make it because I dropped my bundle, then that’s something that would haunt me later on."
