GWS Giants ready to embrace six-day turnaround for preliminary final against Collingwood

GWS effectively has a five-day turnaround before returning to the airport on Thursday, but Stephen Coniglio says the Giants are ready for another blockbuster final.

The Giants aren’t setting up to use the short turnaround for the prelim final as an excuse. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

The Giants are up against it.

After their emphatic semi-final win over Port Adelaide on Saturday, they face what is essentially a five-day turnaround for a preliminary final against Collingwood.

Most players left Adelaide on Sunday morning, while some opted for the lunchtime flight. The group will be back at Sydney Airport to do it all over again on Thursday afternoon.

Adam Kingsley refused to be drawn into the discussion around whether it’s a long enough lay-off.

But it’s clear he won’t have much to do to get his players into the right mindset.

“We don’t care,” Stephen Coniglio said. “We’re blessed to be in the opportunity where we are.

“You look at some of the road trips we’ve done this year, we’re loving being together. Next Friday night at the MCG, probably 100,000 people, it’ll be unbelievable for this footy club.”

Stephen Coniglio was everywhere in a phenomenal performance against the Power. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The Giants’ group might be riding high on the wave of the Orange Tsunami but there is a sense of calm about the challenge that lies ahead.

Barely an hour after the final siren, Coniglio was already thinking about how he’d feed his football obsession that night: “I’ll watch a bit of Premier League. Juventus are up 1-0, then it’s Ange (Postecoglou) and Tottenham.”

But Coniglio’s experience is going to be incredibly important for the Giants as they prepare for Friday’s clash.

He missed their elimination final win over St Kilda but immediately burst back to life with a best-on-ground performance against Port Adelaide. He finished the game with 30 disposals, eight clearances, three tackles and three score assists.

Stephen Coniglio was a relieved man after the Giants kept their season alive after missing the win over St Kilda. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It was his decision-making that Kingsley singled out post-game, rising above the pack when the occasion threatened to overawe some of his teammates.

“His composure when he got the ball was important for us,” Kingsley said.

“Early on in the game, as expected we were probably panicking a bit. Balls hitting the ground, getting tackled, fumbling.

“But he had the composure that settled us. And his ball use was fantastic.”

Two of Coniglio’s biggest moments were in the second half as the Power hinted at a comeback. A settling goal in the third quarter followed by an enormous tackle on Charlie Dixon in the final term typifies the effort and leadership he exudes on the field.

“It’s funny, you play every game all year then you miss the first final,” Coniglio laughed.

“I’m a leader of this team and in that situation, we needed a goal … we’ve had those moments all year and now we have guys that want that responsibility.”

The Giants’ experienced players stood up when it mattered most against Port Adelaide. Picture: Phil Hillyard

One of three inaugural Giants who will line up for the preliminary final, Coniglio is the only one of the trio who is yet to win a final at the MCG.

He experienced heartbreak in 2017 in the preliminary final against Richmond. Then the Giants fell 10 points short of Collingwood in the 2018 semi-final. And he went within a couple of days of being able to play in the 2019 grand final.

This is Coniglio’s time to light up footy’s biggest stage, and momentum is on the Giants’ side to get the job done.

“We’ve been playing elimination finals for the last four weeks,” Coniglio said.

“You want to progress, but we just don’t want to stop playing this year. We’re having so much fun as a group. And that’s been the whole year, not just the second half.

“We’ve had a great build-up, but it’s the belief in our system at the moment. Next week that won’t change.

“We haven’t played Collingwood for a little while and understand how good they are. But we can’t wait to play them.”

Originally published as GWS Giants ready to embrace six-day turnaround for preliminary final against Collingwood