Giants drop a bombshell on skipper
The Giants have made one of the biggest selection calls in recent years by dropping captain Stephen Coniglio.
The Giants have made the extraordinary decision to drop captain Stephen Coniglio from what is an effective sudden-death clash against Melbourne on Saturday night in Brisbane.
Less than a year into a seven-year, multimillion-dollar contract, Coniglio became the first AFL captain to be dropped this century in a selection bombshell.
The AFL season has arrived at a phase akin to the Desperation Stakes as clubs jostle for positions in the eight.
The chase for the bottom three spots in the eight remains a race in five after the sixth-placed Saints were beaten by 15 points by West Coast in a thriller on Thursday night.
In a stunning gamble by the Giants, they have pulled the trigger on Coniglio in the hope of sparking a reaction following their shock loss to bottom-placed Adelaide on Tuesday.
The Giants sit in eighth position, one win in front of the 10th placed Demons, with two matches remaining.
GWS football manager Jason McCartney said Coniglio wanted to make sure the club provided no excuses for his absence.
He is the first captain since John Worsfold was dropped by the Eagles in 1998.
“He is an A-grade footballer. He is an A-grade person and we’ll support him and he’ll bounce back,” McCartney said. Matt de Boer, who will play his 200th game against Melbourne in the clash at the Gabba, said he was in “a little bit of shock” when told why his captain would be absent.
Stephen Coniglio won't line up against Melbourne tomorrow night.
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) September 10, 2020
“When I spoke to him, the first thing he did was congratulate me on my 200th,” he said.
“He is the first person to admit he is not playing his best football and as a playing group we are not helping him enough.
“He is constantly giving and trying to make everyone better. That growth has been profound and I’ve seen that day-to-day in the hub. As a playing group, we support him.”
The move prompted shock across the competition. Essendon legend Tim Watson described the move as explosive. Clearly it also sends a message to other Giants struggling for form including reigning Coleman Medallist Jeremy Cameron.
The 27-year-old is averaging 1.5 goals per game this year, the lowest output of a career in its ninth season.
While there is reduced game time given the measures implemented during the COVID-19 interrupted year, the natural left-footer has managed just one goal over the past fortnight. Whether it prompts a reaction against the Demons will be fascinating.
Melbourne pulled the pin on the desperation grenade at the end of July when President Glen Bartlett issued a rare but very public rebuke after a lamentable effort against Port Adelaide.
The Demons responded by winning four of their next five matches to surge into finals contention. But a visit to the tropical paradise of Cairns proved a nightmare with Melbourne beaten by the Swans and Fremantle in less than a week to all but end their hopes. Coach Simon Goodwin declared the Demons needed to become a more ruthless club.
He has been the senior coach for the past four seasons but placed the emphasis on his players delivering more consistent performances.
“We are looking for a response. Clearly the level we played wasn’t anything near where the level we needed to play at, but we are still in there with an opportunity,” he said. “For too long, in the past couple of years, we have been too inconsistent in the way we play. We have to bring a discipline to how we execute our role.”
After heading West Coast in the last term on Thursday night, St Kilda conceded the last three goals. They will seal their spot should they defeat the Giants next Friday but face a conundrum regarding the potential availability of Dan Hannebery.
The former premiership Swan trained strongly in the quarantine hub on Friday as he bids to prove his fitness after hamstring surgery.
Hawthorn premiership captain Jarryd Roughead, who is now employed by the Saints and is serving as Hannebery’s training partner, acknowledged the gamble for both player and club.
“If you are picking a bloke like that who has had finals experience with a young group who hasn’t been there, someone like that is pretty valuable.”
The Western Bulldogs will play in the finals if they defeat Hawthorn on Sunday and Fremantle in round 18.
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Dan Hannebery looked sharp inside the transition hub today, finals recall beckons should the Saints make it ✅ pic.twitter.com/4ryr6TNwYW
— Michael Willson (@MichaelCWillson) September 9, 2020
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