Premiership coach Mark Williams has labelled football media as “Melbourne-centric” and out to “hang it on” interstate teams.

Williams' call comes on the back of criticism of GWS in the wake of the side’s 36-point preliminary final loss to Richmond. The Giants’ season has been viewed as a disappointment by some given the depth of top-end talent on the list.

But Williams, who spent time helping establish GWS in the club’s formative years, suggested the criticism was yet another example of the Melbourne-led agenda of football analysis.

“The press is so bloody Melbourne-centric,” he told SEN Afternoons.

“It’s all about trying to hang it on the small teams and the ones that are interstate who don’t have a huge voice to defend themselves.

“They’ve (GWS) done pretty well for a developing side.

“It’s bloody hard work to be in a city that doesn’t care about football.”

The Port Adelaide premiership coach highlighted injuries as the critical factor, in not only assessing the season, but the side’s loss to Richmond. It was the second straight year the fledgling franchise has been bounced out of finals on the penultimate weekend.

“You go into a preliminary final and the leading goalkicker in Jeremy Cameron doesn’t play, and people forget that,” he said.

“Shane Mumford, the number one ruckman for GWS, doesn’t play and the All-Australian midfielder in Dylan Shiel plays one quarter.

“Surely it wasn’t a bad effort and surely the year, given the number of injuries, wasn’t a bad one.”