Giants regain stars for crunch match

Important GWS on-ballers Stephen Coniglio and Kieren Briggs volition instrumentality for a finals-shaping clash against Fremantle aft passing fittingness tests connected Thursday.

The brace person some flooded enarthrosis issues for the important Dockers clash, wherever a triumph would permission a top-two decorativeness and location qualifying last connected the array for the Giants.

Coach Adam Kingsley said Coniglio was excited to instrumentality aft lone playing successful 3 of the past 12 games owed to a persistent injury.

The erstwhile skipper has been regularly listed arsenic a “test” connected the GWS wounded database but had his instrumentality delayed owed to an inability to physique spot successful his wounded shoulder.

“(Coniglio) has been a small frustrated, but I’m beauteous definite he’s excited now. He surely trained truly well, truthful we’re truly looking guardant to having him backmost in,” Kingsley said.

Kingsley said Coniglio had been grooming with the Giants’ midfield group, and his instrumentality for Saturday’s clash astatine Engie Stadium could interaction the main beneficiary of his absence, James Peatling.

The unheralded midfielder, who turns 24 adjacent week, has produced the champion period of his vocation to mean 21 disposals, 8 tackles and 7 clearances since circular 19.

The GWS Academy merchandise is retired of declaration astatine the season’s extremity and could pull involvement from clubs searching for midfield talent, but Kingsley is “confident” helium volition stay successful his location state.

“I americium confident, I mean I’m not definite precisely wherever it sits … (Peatling is a) section Sydney boy, I’m definite that weighs into him,” the manager said.

“We’re beauteous keen to clasp him, I cognize that, truthful that volition each enactment itself retired successful owed course.”

Kingsley gave a wry grin erstwhile asked who in-form stopper Toby Bedford would beryllium sent to against Fremantle, saying: “Yeah, Toby volition spell to 1 of them.”

He said Lachie Whitfield was a “no-brainer” to gain his 2nd All-Australian blazer aft averaging a career-high 31 disposals crossed halfback this season.

Whitfield faces contention from rival rebounding defenders including the reinvented Dayne Zorko, Bailey Dale, Nick Blakey and Max Holmes.

“I would ideate so, personally I deliberation he’s the champion halfback successful the league,” Kingsley said.

“So it’s a no-brainer myself, but the close radical volition marque those calls successful owed course.”

Kingsley acknowledged apt Coleman medallist and All-Australian Jesse Hogan was shouldering a dense load successful onslaught but said the final-quarter surge against Brisbane wherever Aaron Cadman booted 3 goals and Darcy Jones kicked 2 showed they had much options.

“I deliberation astatine times we tin beryllium (too dependent) connected (Hogan). He’s specified a pivotal player, he’s successful specified large signifier for america that we thin to spell to him – he’s the blistery hand,” Kingsley said.

“But knowing though, if absorption perpetrate excessively overmuch to him, past different guys unfastened up and we’ll beryllium capable to usage them arsenic ammunition towards goal.

“I consciousness similar we’re successful a beauteous bully abstraction up of the shot particularly. Jesse’s shouldering a batch of that load, but arsenic we saw successful the past 4th past week, we bash person a batch of guys who are capable.”