Stephen Coniglio will make the decision on his Grand Final destiny
Stephen Coniglio faces an all-or-nothing fitness test on Wednesday before the Giants trust one of their biggest stars to make the toughest decision of his career.
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Stephen Coniglio’s Grand Final destiny has been left in his own hands, with GWS to back its superstar to make the biggest decision of his life himself.
Lachie Whitfield is all but certain to play in Saturday’s decider against Richmond, but Coniglio faces a gruelling all-or-nothing fitness test on Wednesday to determine whether the MCG will witness one of the most extraordinary comebacks in AFL history.
Coniglio put a hole in his femur and had surgery to clean up the cartilage damage on July 16, effectively ruling him out for the season.
But GWS has declared there are no structural issues with his knee, and the only conundrum is his lack of conditioning after months on the sidelines.
Coniglio represents the Giants’ past as a foundation player and is the face of their future after recently knocking back millions of dollars to sign a lifetime deal at GWS.
That standing has been recognised in an extraordinary show of faith in which coaches and medical staff will largely defer to Coniglio himself to make a cutthroat call on his own fate.
“He’s starting to move pretty well, Cogs. He’s got excited this week. He’ll train tomorrow and we’ll see how that goes,” said head of football, Wayne Campbell.
“We’ll never put pressure on him. He’ll almost make the call, I reckon, as to whether he’s done the work.
“His knee is stable and everything it’s just whether he’s done enough work so we’ll wait and see tomorrow what happens at training.”
Respected medico Dr Peter Larkins believes playing Coniglio is too risky: “Who was the person in history who has played in a Grand Final after missing 12 weeks?”
But the AFL grand final is littered with medical miracles like Nigel Lappin and his broken ribs in 2003 for Brisbane, Dale Morris playing out the entire 2016 finals with a broken back for the Western Bulldogs and Geelong legend Steve Johnson stretchered off in the 2011 preliminary final with a medial, only to lie in his fitness test and star for the Cats in the Grand Final triumph a week later.
Coniglio said at the Brownlow Medal on Monday night that he had a big “24-48 hours ahead, but my body is feeling great.”
Co-captain Callan Ward, who has also been injured, went as far as to say he was “pretty optimistic he (Coniglio) can actually get up for it.
“He’s the type of guy who will leave no stone unturned.”
Veteran Heath Shaw refused to put a percentage on Coniglio’s chances but said either way there would be some heartbreak for the unlucky players to miss out on the club’s first Grand Final.
“I spoke to his old man after the game and Stephen said he was going to have a crack at it and (his dad) goes, ‘Just make sure he makes the right decision’,” said Shaw.
“I think Stephen will make the right decision for himself and for the team as well.”
All week GWS have had the “Italian Job” with Coniglio, but the drama-charged Grand Final week has another movie theme: The Bodyguard, starring Whitfield.
The spindly star is set to be given Presidential security from teammates determined to protect him from a physical assault from Richmond who are sure to target Whitfield if he plays just 10 days post appendix surgery.
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Whitfield looked somewhat tentative as he ran laps of the oval on Tuesday in front of 1000 GWS fans, but he can rest assured, the orange army has his back.
“I think there will be an element of that. He does get targeted because he is a good player, but Lachie is very tough for a skinny little runt,” said Shaw.
“He’s one of the toughest players I've played with and he just pushes through pain and he won't complain.
“He'll keep going after it, and that’s why we love him and that’s why we rate him so highly as a player.”
Giants captain Phil Davis also appears a certain starter despite calf and back trouble in the preliminary final.