WHEN Greater Western Sydney Giant Harry Perryman was fixing fences or driving the tractor with his three brothers at the family farm, he would day dream about playing for Collingwood.
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But he is adamant he would relish the challenge if given the task of shutting down a Magpies superstar in Saturday's crunch battle at Giants Stadium.
Despite playing 26 AFL games, it will be the first time the Collingullie-Glenfield Park product has played Collingwood as the Giants look to snap a three-game losing streak which has seen them drop to sixth on the ladder.
"It's funny, I used to be a mad Collingwood supporter growing up with my brothers back home," Perryman said.
"I don't know (who my brothers will cheer for), you'd like to think the Giants but who knows?'
Perryman is beginning to feel at home in the AFL after stringing together the past eight games after a two month layoff with a punctured lung suffered against Essendon in round one.
The 20-year-old has played mainly on the wing, which throws up the chance of a duel with Magpies star Steele Sidebottom, but could be rotated into the midfield with Giants prime movers Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio sidelined through injury.
Perryman responded in typical laidback style when asked about the prospect of lining up against players he idolised growing up.
"As long as I'm getting a game I'm not too fussed where I play," he said.
"We haven't talked about it (time in midfield) much, but I"d definitely be more than happy to with him (Coniglio) going down.
"When you're on those good players you're on the ball more, it's just another opportunity to find the footy."
Perryman is full of confidence after racking up a career-high 27 touches in last week's loss to Richmond, and believes the Giants can emulate Collingwood, who emerged from a rut of their own with a shock win over West Coast in Perth last week.
"It's always not as nice when you're losing, but it's good to string a few games together and feel a bit more confident out there," he said.
"Once you string a few games together you start to play your own game a bit more and they're bloody good up here,they just tell you to play footy and not think about too much.
"I've got another year next year, hopefully keep trying to get a kick and get a few more years.
"Even though we've had three losses in a row, we've played some good patches of footy, we've just been a bit inconsistent. I don't think we're too far from turning it around.
"Our contested footy has been really good,it's just bringing it for four quarters, which I know sounds boring but that's basically it."
Perryman said the Giants squad, in particular the Riverina contingent, have rallied around Narrandera's Matt Flynn after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing for the Giants North-Eastern Australian Football League outfit in Darwin last weekend.
"It's bloody shocking news for poor old Flynny. He's probably one of my best mates at the club," Perryman said.
"When we found out we were shattered. He's a pretty positive bloke and he's got a good family, I reckon he'll come back even better."
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