GWS Giants coach Kevin Sheedy defends the development of his young players GWS Giants youngster Lachie Whitfield has been rewarded for his impressive recent form with a Rising Star nomination. GIANTS coach Kevin Sheedy has defended the development of his young players after No.1 draft pick Lachie Whitfield became their first Rising Star nomination of the season. This time last year the Giants already had four Rising Stars nominations in Jeremy Cameron, Tomas Bugg, Stephen Coniglio and Dylan Shiel. By season's end, the Giants had a record eight players short listed for the Rising Star award with Toby Greene, Adam Treloar, Devon Smith and Dom Tyson also earning nominations. "It's partially because a number of our first-round draft picks from last year aren't playing," Sheedy said. We've had four or five out so far, young Jono O'Rourke (pick No.2) Kristian Jaksch (pick No.12) haven't played and some of the other boys are now working into their fifth and sixth game. We had less draft picks last year as well, plus it's tougher to get a game. In the 2011 draft, the Giants had 11 of the first 14 selections, including the first five. Last year they had five in the first 14 picks, including the first three. Sheedy compared Whitfield to Melbourne champion Robbie Flower. "He's got a good footy brain, he knows where the ball's going and reads the patterns of play really well," Sheedy said. In the different positions we're playing him, he's adjusted very quickly and I think that is a very good sign early in his career. Whitfield earned his nomination for a 21-possession, one-goal performance against Carlton, but could easily have been rewarded for a series of fine efforts this year. "I didn't think the Carlton game on the weekend was my best compared to the Port Adelaide or Melbourne games," Whitfield said. Whitfield, along with Jeremy Cameron and Callan Ward, have been stand out for GWS in an otherwise bleak season. The Giants will have their hands full when they take on Geelong at Skoda Stadium on Saturday.