Stephen Coniglio has history with Lenny Hayes at Wagga Wagga’s Robertson Oval
GWS star Stephen Coniglio had a painful experience when he last visited Wagga Wagga but he’s thankful the culprit will be in his corner when the Giants take on their Grand Final conquerors in a pre-season game.
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Stephen Coniglio leads the Giants out on to the Wagga Wagga turf safe in the knowledge his own midfield coach won’t revisit painful ground and leave him in a dizzying heap.
Last season’s grand finalists meet for the first time since Richmond demolished GWS at the MCG in September.
There’s no talk of revenge in the Giants camp but victory on Sunday would certainly ease the pain just a little for the orange and charcoal faithful.
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Coniglio’s last visit to Robertson Oval six years ago ended in painful fashion and he’s never let the perpetrator forget it — one Lenny Hayes.
Hayes was part of the St Kilda side that suffered a 68-point pre-season thumping by GWS back in March 2014.
It was an important triumph for a young club that had endured plenty of thrashings in its early years.
Hayes believes it was a key moment for the Giants, where confidence and belief really kicked in – an important milestone which also sent out a message to the rest of the competition that these fresh-faced kids posed a growing threat.
While Coniglio and Hayes are now on the same side, Hayes in charge of the Giants midfielders, it doesn’t mean past indiscretions have been forgiven or forgotten.
Coniglio’s involvement that day was brief. Concussion ended his afternoon in the first quarter – the result of a hit from one L.Hayes Esq.
“I tackled him from behind but I got him high,” Hayes tells The Sunday Telegraph.
“He went off with concussion and I ended up getting a week for it.
“A bit of the grumpy old man coming out that day, being pushed around by these kids.
“He and I quite often have a bit of banter about it. He passes me and says ‘you’re a dog, Hayes, a dog and I’m not going to forget it.
“No, it’s all in good fun.”
Hayes has seen Coniglio and numerous other Giants who played that day (including Jeremy Cameron and Nick Haynes) grow into some of the competition’s top performers.
Coniglio today has the chance to get more valuable minutes under his belt after his injury woes last season while Hayes also believes the clash with the Tigers can prove an important step for the club’s current crop of kids.
“Cogs played half the practice game we had with the Swans and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He’ll play some good minutes as will the other guys who played in State of Origin,” Hayes said.
Tim Taranto’s injury absence has opened the door for a number of youngsters to press their claim today.
“It’s obviously disappointing as Tim’s had a really good pre-season,” Hayes said.
“But it gives someone else an opportunity, the young guys waiting in the wings, the likes of Tom Green, Jackson Hately, Jye Caldwell.
“This week will be a great test. They’re learning but you just want them to go out confident and show us what they’ve got.
“Richmond have great midfielders to learn from, just as playing against the Swans last time and testing themselves against the likes of (Josh) Kennedy and (Luke) Parker was great for our boys.
“I was talking to Phil Davis about that game (the 2014 Wagga clash) and he was up against Nick Riewoldt that day. Invaluable experiences.”