Run it again: Why Adam Kingsley is confident the Orange Tsunami will be in action from the opening bounce

The Giants 2023 season was one of wildly different halves, with a disappointing opening stanza followed by a scintillating run which had them one point away from a grand final. Second-year coach Adam Kingsley is determined to be on from the first bounce in 2024.

Adam Kingsley is confident the Giants can hit the ground running this season. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Adam Kingsley expects the Giants to pick up exactly where they left off as they search for a fast start to the 2024 season.

The Giants lit up the AFL during their run home last year, winning seven games in a row to propel them into finals contention and become genuine contenders for the premiership.

However, that form was preceded by a slow start to the season where they won only three of their first 10 matches.

That stretch was put down to a lack of familiarity with the Giants’ new game plan and Kingsley is confident that those teething problems are a thing of the past.

The Giants’ defence is set to give them the platform to succeed again in 2024. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“My expectation is that we play the entire year like we finished last year,” Kingsley said. “And there’s no reason that can’t be the case, we know we’re capable of it because we’ve done it.

“So there shouldn’t be any reason why we couldn’t play that style of play from the opening round. That’s my mindset.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll win every game or that we’ll be able to recreate that to the level we did. But that’s my expectation that we’ll do that and take each week as it comes.”

The contrast between the Giants’ start to 2023 and the end was best seen in their defence.

Across the opening three months, they were in the bottom four in the competition for points against, points against from turnovers and opposition scores per inside 50. From round 13 onwards, they were the best in the AFL in all those categories.

They also found more rhythm and consistency in their forward pressure. After round 10 and beyond, the Giants were in the top four teams in the competition for forward half intercepts and points from forward half intercepts.

With only draftees added to their list for 2024, Kingsley has been able to dedicate more time to little intricacies in the game plan to take them to the next level.

“I’d say [pre-season has been] less complicated in a sense that we don’t have to educate and focus on the game plan as much as what we did last year,” he said.

“But we’ve still got to make sure we’re ticking it all off and trying to improve where we can and where we think we need to.

“So there’s a different set of challenges presented and I’m sure that’ll be the case every year. [We’re] trying to build our games individually, play our roles better and try and be better players.”

One of the key areas that Kingsley has worked on is challenging his players to become critical thinkers. During their intense pre-season camp in the Blue Mountains, physically exhausting exercises like eight-hour hikes were combined with solving puzzles and orienteering exercises.

The second-year coach wants the Giants to not only be the hardest-working team in the AFL but also the most intelligent.

“The Blue Mountains is a beautiful spot but they had challenging parts to the hikes,” Kingsley said.

“I mean, you’ve got to tap into their minds as well as their bodies. Particularly under fatigue when you’re asking them to make decisions out on the field.

“That can be at times difficult to practice so you try to recreate those situations any way you can. So one of those was challenging them mentally while they were fatigued during a hike.”

Because of their stable list, it will be a similar looking line-up for the Giants this season. Young players such as Tom Green and Finn Callaghan have already been predicted to go to the next level in one of the competition’s elite midfields.

Youngster Darcy Jones has been tipped to make a big impact on return from his ACL injury. Picture: Phil Hillyard

However, one name that has stood out in pre-season is Darcy Jones. The 19-year-old didn’t play a game across his first year due to an ACL injury last March, and Kingsley believes the diminutive midfielder could come in and elevate the side.

“He’s recovered fully, has been back into full training and played a quarter [of match simulation],” Kingsley said.

“He plays a really important role for us. I think he’s got that good mix of offence and defence, he’s got the capacity to be that sort of player.

“He’s yet to prove that at AFL level because he’s yet to play a game. But I have high hopes for him.

“He’s had a terrific summer and we’re looking at him as one of those players who can potentially improve us heading into this year.”

Originally published as Run it again: Why Adam Kingsley is confident the Orange Tsunami will be in action from the opening bounce