AFL’s march into NSW needs to be a priority for league: Giants coach Adam Kingsley

Twelve months in his new life in Sydney has given Adam Kingsley a new perspective on what the AFL should be prioritising, and he thinks growing the game in NSW should be top of the list, he tells LACHLAN McKIRDY.

Coach Adam Kingsley during the GWS Giants training session on September 20, 2023 ahead of Friday nights Preliminary Final against Collingwood. Photo by Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only - **NO ON SALES** - ©Phil Hillyard )

Adam Kingsley’s first-hand experience as Giants coach has driven his renewed belief that growing Aussie rules in NSW has to become a key priority for the AFL.

Kingsley’s side will be involved in the inaugural opening round initiative with the first four matches of the 2024 season to take place across NSW and Queensland.

However, a year on from Kingsley’s move to western Sydney, he has a greater appreciation of the potential for the sport in the northern states, and he hopes the opening round concept is just the beginning.

“I think it’s a great initiative from the AFL to try and bring the game to the northern states and promote the game,” Kingsley said.

“Because ultimately we all know that’s where the last part of the game will be. It’s an untapped area, in western Sydney. I think there’s an enormous opportunity to tap into that market and we need to do everything we can to do that.”

Kingsley has been impressed by the potential for footy to succeed in NSW. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Reflecting on his first 12 months as an AFL senior coach, one of Kingsley’s motivations for taking the role was to help pioneer the growth of the sport.

It wasn’t the first opportunity that came up for Kingsley. He applied for several roles across 15 years as an assistant coach. But from his first meeting with the Giants, he knew that the move, and the challenging nature of it, was right for him.

“I did wait a while but I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity than up here with the players and the staff that we have,” Kingsley said.

“I’ve found it, not easy, but it feels like there’s a lot of trust among the guys. We’re all pulling in the same direction, working hard and having fun.

“The first [expectation] was the challenge of building the game in this part of the world. So I look at it from that perspective and how I can impact it, whether it’s on or off-field by the way we play.”

The club’s Orange Tsunami game plan won plenty of admirers in 2023 and inherently that was one of Kingsley’s measures for success.

Kingsley knows on-field success for the Giants is one of the best ways to help grow the sport. Picture: Phil Hillyard

He wants people to be drawn to the Giants and the way they play. In essence, winning hearts and minds is part of the battle in the western Sydney heartland.

The results in Kingsley’s first year were a bonus. No one tipped them to be anywhere near an elimination final, and his recognition as the 2023 Coach of the Year is a testament to the work he did on that journey.

But the Giants are now set to be the hunted. While they’ve quickly become a lot of footy fans’ second favourite team, their aggressive play style, and tongue-in-cheek use of social media, naturally means there is a target on their back.

On the field, Kingsley is determined to make sure they play with that same fearless attitude from the very first bounce against reigning premiers Collingwood on March 9.

And he knows that the trust in the playing group, the same connection that led them to win at a record 11 different venues in 2023, is what will drive them to go one better.

The trust in the Giants’ group is set to drive them in 2024. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“What I’ve probably learned is that the group is incredibly connected,” Kingsley said.

“It’s probably a by-product of everyone, bar a couple, living away from home. We often talk about this being a big country footy club because of those bonds and connections that every one of our players and staff have.

“The way that guys attack every session, there’s a lot of trust and a high level of competition among the group. They embrace everything you ask them to do. It makes them a lot easier to coach.

“There will be challenges that pop up ahead for all of us. But I’m sure we’ll embrace them and get past them the best we can.

“I just want to see us play the way I know we can play. If we play that brand of footy, that Orange Tsunami that people started labelling, if we do that, then hopefully we’ll be fun to watch.”