NARRANDERA footballer Zac Williams is not getting his hopes of an AFL finals campaign up just yet.
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Williams has burst back onto the scene for Greater Western Sydney (GWS) over the past month as the Giants continue their charge towards an unlikely finals berth.
Williams, 20, has played the last four AFL games for the Giants and enjoyed 20 possessions in the win over Gold Coast last Saturday.
The Giants are currently in seventh place on the AFL ladder but with games against Essendon, Carlton and Melbourne on the run home, many experts believe finals are on the cards for GWS.
Williams is enjoying the ride but said the Giants are not going to get excited about finals football in July.
“We’ve still got a few big games ahead of us, like this week in Canberra against Geelong,” Williams said.
“We still need a few wins in games like that against the top-end teams.
“There is a few teams with us on the ladder that are all looking to play finals so we’re certainly not getting ahead of ourselves.”
The Giants play Geelong at Startrack Oval in Canberra on Saturday, a game that is as close as a home game that Riverina’s GWS players get during the AFL season proper.
Williams is the only Riverina player currently in the Giants’ first 22, with Jake Barrett, Jacob Townsend, Sam Schulz and Jeremy Finlayson pressing in the reserves.
Williams has managed seven AFL games this season, including the last four in a row, and said he simply had to grab his opportunity when it presented.
“I found it a bit hard to break into the side at the start of the year,” he said.
“Everything was coming off big pre-seasons while I missed out on virtually all pre-season with my ankle.
“Once I started to play I was able to find my feet pretty quickly. I was first emergency for a while, sub, it took a while but I got an opportunity to play against North Melbourne when Tom Scully was sick and I haven’t looked back since.
“Each week I’m feeling a bit more comfortable in that half-back spot and each time I play I feel more comfortable and confident.”
Williams, best on ground in the 2012 Riverina League grand final for Narrandera, has now amassed 26 AFL games in his three yeas at GWS.
He is off contract at the end of the year and is not in any rush to make a decision.
“It’s all about opportunities...I’m going to keep my options open and see how it goes,” Williams said.
The Giants’ Riverina link is only set to get stronger at this year’s AFL Draft.
