Inside the Giants’ all-time spray from coach Adam Kingsley that kept their season alive

With his team sleepwalking towards another Derby disaster, Adam Kingsley delivered a half-time reality check that changed the course of their season and finally saw the Giants break their drought against the Swans.

Giants coach Adam Kingsley told his team they could kiss their premiership dreams goodbye if they lost to the Swans on Friday night during an “all-time” half-time spray that inspired their remarkable 79-point turnaround.

The 31st edition of the Sydney Derby didn’t disappoint with spotfires galore, but it was the Swans who had all the running early as they opened a 35-point lead in the second term.

Things weren’t working in the first half for the Giants. Their intensity was down, they were being outworked at the contest, and simply, the Swans were on top in all facets of the game.

Unfortunately, it was the same old story for the orange tsunami. The Giants have made a bad habit out of slow starts in 2025, allowing opposition teams to get a run on before they’ve even made it out of the starters’ blocks.

The Giants were all bark and no bite in the first half with players like Toby Greene too distracted with being physical against their opponents. Picture: Brett Costello

But Kingsley knows this is the time of the season when the great teams rise. Since taking over as Giants coach at the beginning of 2023, he has yet to lose a game in the month of July, and he wasn’t about to start now.

He sat the players down in the briefing room and unleashed a spray that consisted of two key themes.

Firstly, he challenged his leaders, in particular, Toby Greene, to step up and take control. As many as six different senior players were singled out by Kingsley during the main break.

He stared them dead in the eyes, gave them a moment to reflect and realise that it was on them to make a difference.

Kingsley wanted a response from his team, and he got one. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

“It was a good (spray),” Greene said. “It was direct, we deserved it. Their work rate and contest was miles ahead of where we needed to be.

“For me personally, I knew I’d been really poor in the first half. I just wanted to respond in the right way. I can’t speak for everyone else, but we knew what we were doing wrong and what we had to get better at.”

The second task for Kingsley was to give his team the motivation they required. And reminding them of their poor Derby record was the perfect fuel to add to the fire.

Throughout the week, all the teams had downplayed the recent history between the two sides. Compliments were traded, and the ‘Friendly Derby’ moniker even raised its head.

But Kingsley held his ammunition perfectly, letting it bubble away in the background until his players were ready to run through a brick wall. While Greene and others might have gone slightly over the top in the first half, the Giants’ 12-goal to one second half was a fair sign that the message was heard loud and clear.

“He was challenging the way we play and our history against the Swans,” Sam Taylor said. “I think it was his best spray he’s ever done to us as a team.

“Against the Swans, we always seem to fall into bad habits. He hit us head-on. He eyeballed everyone. He told us we better get going, otherwise we can wish our season goodbye – six times in a row (against the Swans) is bloody embarrassing. It was a great spray.

“I thought we weren’t playing that badly. But defensive 50, we were just coughing up a lot of shitty goals. If we kept playing our way, we knew things would turn. The boys responded, and the rest is history.”

The Giants got on a roll and their celebrations matched their hot streak. Picture: Brett Costello

This comeback was about more than just Kingsley’s half-time message. It was the sign of a mature Giants team finally realising the potential they have at their fingertips.

Taylor has seen many iterations of this side since he debuted in 2018. Over the past two years in particular, they’ve experienced finals heartache like no other and had to come to terms with being so close, yet so far.

Now, they’re closing in on their ultimate form. And with young players continually improving, and additions like the classy Jake Stringer finally hitting their stride, they’re playing the best football that they ever have under Kingsley’s reign.

But all that is for naught if they don’t do it when it counts.

The Giants are finally back in the winner’s circle against the Swans and cemented their status as genuine premiership contenders. Picture: Brett Costello

“Kingers mentioned that at the start of the game, this is the best version of ourselves,” Taylor said.

“We’ve matured. We’ve grown a lot in our leadership and the way we go about things. We don’t lose our heads if we’re down by 35 plus points. So yeah, never count us out. And if we play our way, we can beat anyone.

“It’s still the home-and-away season. We want to be playing good footy when it counts, and that’s in September. We can’t get too high and mighty. We’ve got to keep being disciplined and playing well.

“Yeah, we haven’t done anything yet.”

Originally published as Inside the Giants’ all-time spray from coach Adam Kingsley that kept their season alive