GIANTS’ NEW LEADERSHIP PAIR FACE BIGGEST TEST
KINGSLEY’S GAME PLAN
THEY might be orange, but there could be a distinct yellow and black feel about the Giants’ game plan under new coach Adam Kingsley. A former Port Adelaide premiership player and club champion, Kingsley served a long apprenticeship as an assistant coach through stints with the Power, St Kilda and, most recently, Richmond. He joined the Tigers’ coaching team in 2019, and played a key role in their 2019 and 2020 premierships under Damien Hardwick. Kingsley said before the season there would be a “lot of similarities” in the GWS game plan to how Richmond has played, notably its quick and chaotic ball movement. The influence of his time at the Tigers has already been clear in the Giants’ pre-season contests as they played a high-tempo and handball-centric game style.
GREENE FLYING SOLO
AFTER sharing the captaincy with Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly last year, Toby Greene gets the chance to lead in his own right this season. But he’s really been the heartbeat of this Giants’ group for years, so he deserves the chance to show what he’s got as the sole leader for the first time in his career. Love him or not, there is no disputing Greene remains one of the game’s most dynamic forwards and his importance to the Giants can’t be understated. He kicked 37 goals in a 2022 season in which he played only 15 games. Sitting out the first five matches through suspension, his impact was underlined with GWS losing four of the five he was missing. Greene says he has done a lot of work on his leadership skills, but his game will speak volumes.
TOP-EIGHT CHALLENGER?
AFTER finishing 16th in a season when they bade farewell to their coach of almost a decade, there are a few unknowns for the Giants’ new era. Most AFL pundits are predicting the Giants – in their first season with a new coach and (stand-alone) captain – will finish near the bottom. But with a team loaded with Greene, Kelly, Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Tom Green and No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman, the Giants have the talent to burn and could loom as a smokey.
POWER OF ONE
GWS traded up to secure Cadman and they hope they have found the next Jeremy Cameron with the 195cm forward. He will need time to breathe upon entering the AFL but is a longterm project.