Stephen Coniglio explains why he stayed at Greater Western Sydney
He had huge offers from rival clubs. But Stephen Coniglio’s decision to remain at GWS never came down to money. He explains why he wants to be a Giant for life and what’s next.
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Stephen Coniglio wants to lead the Giants on a mission to become the biggest sporting club in Australia.
After months of speculation, the star midfielder will be a Giant for life after signing a seven-year deal.
And he makes no secret of the fact he one day wants to captain the club he loves to serious silverware.
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And amid all the talk of mammoth offers from rivals club, Coniglio said the final decision was ultimately based on feel.
“I stayed because I wanted to,” he said. “The process did take a long time to get through but ultimately my story’s been such a beautiful one so far and I wanted to continue that.
“We’re building a special sporting club. To be able to create that from the start and continue that was the main reason why I stayed in the end.
“Definitely a relief (having made the decision). It wasn’t until I Facetimed my mum and dad and told them the news on Monday night, I was just overcome with emotion.
“There were a couple of times throughout the process where I did feel for my teammates having to get asked about why it’s taking so long, walking around the corridors and people thinking ‘is this guy leaving or is he staying’. That was the only time it really got to me, towards the end of it.
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“A couple of weeks ago I was chatting to my dad and said to him what would my nonno (grandad) do. He said, he came here with nothing and had to provide for his family, you’re blessed to have options.
“This decision means a lot for me and a lot for them and goes hand-in-hand with the club. (It’s been) a fantastic place for me to grow as a person and a player and I just want to give back as much as possible.”
He admits he had ‘attractive’ offers from rival clubs but ultimately it came down to what he felt was right.
Aside from family, he sought advice and support from his manager and the likes of housemate Jon Patton, Callan Ward and Toby Greene.
The players were told at a pre-finals dinner on Monday night with Heath Shaw announcing Coniglio was staying.
“Everyone, players and partners erupted. (It was) a really special moment to see what it meant to a lot of people,” he said.
Coniglio said all the work he does off the pitch in helping the club grow was a factor in his decision.
“The way I see it at the moment, we haven’t had proper silverware. I want this team to be a great team but this club to be the biggest sporting club in Australia,” he said.
“I firmly believe we can do that with AFLW, AFL and netball so definitely the ambition and belief was always there, it never wavered.
“That needs to be our dream, our ambition and it will be a great journey along the way.”
Coniglio also hopes his long commitment will send a strong message to his teammates who may be heading out of contract.