Toby Greene says GWS Giants will keep fighting to play finals amid growing injury list

With another star down, the out-of-form GWS Giants face a ‘test of character’ to remain in the premiership race, but forward Toby Greene says they won’t be feeling sorry for themselves.

A knee injury could rule Stephen Coniglio out for the rest of the season. Picture: AAP

Toby Greene admits the Giants are facing a test of character but insists the finals balloon hasn’t burst ­despite a miserable run of results and cruel injury blows.

From looking strong favourites to finish in the four, defeat against Collingwood this weekend could push GWS out of the top eight.

Sunday’s loss to Richmond was compounded when Stephen Coniglio hobbled off with a knee injury that could rule him out for the rest of the season — unless the Giants make the finals.

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But despite three losses in a row, Greene says nobody at the club is about to let the season implode.

“We’re here to play finals, deep into finals, that’s what we’re working to do,” Greene told The Daily Telegraph.

Toby Greene says the Giants’ plans haven’t changed after Stephen Coniglio’s potentially season-ending injury. Picture: Getty Images

“Things haven’t changed in terms of how we want to finish the season. We just get back to work.

“There’s no time to feel sorry for yourselves in AFL and we certainly won’t be doing that. I guess it is (a test of character) and we just have to dig in and turn it around.”

With Coniglio out for several weeks — and off-contract at season’s end — Greene said others would have to take on a greater level of responsibility, himself included.

“There’s probably an element of that but it falls to a lot of people,” Greene said. “He’s (Coniglio) a really great leader at this footy club and the way he goes about it is something I admire and a lot of the players around him do.

“We certainly want him to stay at the club and I don’t think this will ­affect his decision in any way. What happens, happens.

“It’s a huge loss but Cogs is a ­pretty resilient sort of bloke.”

Stephen Coniglio is helped off the ground on Sunday. Picture: AAP

Coniglio went under the knife on Tuesday to repair the damage in his knee.

“He had surgery this morning and had some cartilage taken out so it’s been a pretty good result,” Giants general manager of football Wayne Campbell said.

“It looks like about eight weeks.

“It will be slow at the start and then he’ll get his quad strength up and start running about the four-to-six weeks mark and hopefully be around that eight-week mark.”

Next up is another tough test in the form of Collingwood, currently second on the ladder.

“Collingwood are one of the better sides in the competition and they’ve had a fantastic year so it’s a great opportunity for us to respond,” Greene said.

“They knocked us out of the finals last year and we’re looking forward to taking them on here.”

Whether the Giants opt to shuffle an established player to fill Coniglio’s role remains to be seen but youngsters such as Jackson Hately and Jye Caldwell could also come into the mix.

And in further injury blows for the club, young ruckman Matt Flynn ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in NEAFL action on Saturday while Zac Langdon is out for eight weeks after ankle surgery.

Originally published as Toby Greene says GWS Giants will keep fighting to play finals amid growing injury list