#3 Stephen Coniglio - Inaugural Giant (Pick 2, 2011 National Draft)

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Coniglio's elevation to vice-captain could be just the start
Adam Curley
March 7, 2017 12:21 PM

STEPHEN Coniglio's elevation to vice-captain of Greater Western Sydney for 2017 is further proof that the midfielder is destined for higher leadership honours at the club.

Voted into the leadership group for the first time last year, Coniglio takes over the vice-captaincy from former housemate Heath Shaw, who pushed the onballer's case to coach Leon Cameron when the pair sat down last week.

Shaw will remain part of the seven-man leadership structure alongside co-captains Callan Ward and Phil Davis, who are back for a sixth season in charge, with Dylan Shiel, Devon Smith and Josh Kelly, another former No.2 draft pick, also on board for the first time.

Defender Matt Buntine drops out of the group after one season.

Cameron said Coniglio had been an impressive young leader since he first arrived at the club as an original Giant, as have most of the club's young stars.

"Stephen has got great character, he's respected by his peers, and he's a really popular person amongst our playing group," he said.

"And it's not just Stephen, it's everyone up here.

"Devon (Smith) captained the team on the weekend (against the Swans), and watching him deal with some situations out there, compared to three or for years ago, was like chalk and cheese.

"Dylan (Shiel) will captain the side (against North Melbourne) this week in Canberra and so on, and Stephen has been through that as well.

"They're all young lads who can play the game, they're bonafide AFL players who can contribute on the field, but they know they want to get outside themselves and look after their teammates as well, and point them in the right direction."

Coniglio was honoured to be given the promotion and being recommended for the role by Shaw was extra humbling, given the pair's close relationship, but the West Australian couldn't resist a dig at the Giants' resident jokester.

"I think 'Shawry' went for the top job but missed out, so he's now at the back of the line," he said with a laugh.

"I think he'll be alright, he was a bit upset but he's fine now.

"I lived with him for three years and what he did for my footy in that time, when I was pretty inconsistent with how I was playing, was teach me how to get a good balance and perform week in, week out.

"It wasn't only on field but he mentored me off-field in a leadership capacity, and I'm very grateful for that."

http://m.afl.com.au/news/2017-03-07/coniglios-elevation-to-vicecaptain-could-be-just-the-start
 
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Coniglio Nearing Return
GIANTS Media

25 April 2017 11:40 AM


GIANTS vice-captain Stephen Coniglio is nearing a return to the field after a pre-season ankle injury.

The 23-year-old is listed as spending one more week on the sidelines, meaning he could be available for selection for the GIANTS round seven match against St Kilda.

Coniglio suffered the syndesmosis injury in the final JLT Community Series match against North Melbourne at UNSW Canberra Oval on March 10, seeing the West Australian miss the opening six rounds of the season.

http://m.gwsgiants.com.au/news/2017-04-25/coniglio-nearing-return
 

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Coniglio’s Magnificent Seven

GIANTS vice-captain and star midfielder Stephen Coniglio is a GIANT for life having put pen to paper on a new seven-year deal, keeping him at the club until at least the end of 2026.
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www.theage.com.au

Coniglio signs seven-year deal with GWS, rejects rival offers

Stephen Coniglio has spurned massive offers from Carlton and Hawthorn to sign a monster seven-year deal to remain with Greater Western Sydney.
www.theage.com.au www.theage.com.au

A long wait and many nervous supporters but finally he commits and likely to be a Giant for life and a captain in 2020 or 21
 
The lofty ambition of turning Greater Western Sydney into the biggest sporting club in Australia was one of the key drivers in Stephen Coniglio's decision to turn down bigger money interstate and pledge his future to the AFL expansion outfit.

The AFL's most in-demand free agent, Coniglio signed a seven-year contract with the Giants on Monday – a day after he says he finally made the call to stay put and spurn the advances of Carlton, Hawthorn and West Coast, who had submitted eye-watering offers to his management.
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Coniglio's decision to stay a Giant win for GWS

No one person is bigger than the club, but in truth, the GWS Giants could not afford to have lost Stephen Coniglio.
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Lesser men than Stephen Coniglio would be tempted to bite back at critics this year. The Giants’ co-captain was chastised constantly last year for his form struggles despite barely playing because of injuries. The 28-year-old’s form spike in 2022 hasn’t created anywhere near the same headlines but one reason stopping him from shouting about his revival from the rooftops is the Giants sit a disappointing 16th on the ladder. Another? It’s just not the type of person Coniglio is.

Even still, the relentless criticism naturally hurt. Coniglio’s family and friends provided crucial support throughout that period. It also frustrated him how long it took to run pain-free again after ankle surgery in April that included his big toe being reconstructed on the same foot. Coniglio missed 13 matches but still wasn’t right once he made it back, then spent another month out, before limping his way through round 23 and two finals. Finally, in December last year, there was a breakthrough after he had sought advice from various medical specialists in the months prior.

The old Coniglio resurfaced at training, and coach Leon Cameron saw enough to predict he would be back to his best if he just had some luck with his health. Cameron was right. Before sitting out last week’s heavy defeat to the Swans with foot soreness, the star midfielder hadn’t missed a match this year and boasts per-game averages of 25 disposals, five tackles, five clearances and almost a goal.
 
Congrats to Cogs on playing his 200th AFL game, all for GWS. He celebrated with a win to launch GWS into finals, and a superb game himself.

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Redemption Driving Milestone Man in Career-Best Year

Stephen Coniglio will become just the fourth inaugural GIANT to play 200 games for the club this weekend.
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There were many minds in football who doubted whether Stephen Coniglio would ever rediscover his best form.

They pondered whether the captaincy dramas at the GIANTS would hold him back or whether his body would do the same. They wondered if the 200 game milestone would be reached somewhere else, too. Either back in his native Western Australia or as a result of being lured to Victoria by the big money offers. Coniglio has always remained calm amid the storm. Aware of the noise, but never biting back at it.

This week, he becomes just the fourth inaugural GIANT to hit that mark in a season in which he has shone as brightly as any other. The plaudits may not be as plentiful as at other times in his distinguished career but Coniglio in 2023 is sixth in the competition for disposals and fifth for score involvements. He has bounced back in a massive way, when many had written him off.

"When I went through that spell, the first thing you need to be is honest with yourself. When it wasn't working, I was thinking about redemption and all that stuff," Coniglio said. "And what was most important was just getting back to basics and surrounding myself and my thoughts with good feelings again. I'm just loving playing, loving being coached by Adam (Kingsley) and the group at the moment. It's a very special feeling. The only thing I can really compare it to is how it felt in 2015, '16, '17."

It may just be Coniglio's best season ever. He may be in the discussions, at the least, for a first All-Australian blazer. He feels it's definitely the best campaign in terms of simply playing his role across a whole season, in a side that is on a massive upwards trajectory. Coniglio and the GIANTS are back in the premiership conversation over the next few seasons and the retirement of long-time teammate and former captain Phil Davis this week, has hammered home the need to strike soon.

"I think a lot of what he (Davis) said the other day really resonated with me, particularly with the (premiership) chances that we've had," Coniglio said. "We know it's not possible every year, but just how quick time goes for me and guys like Toby (Greene) and Josh (Kelly), we're impatient to see it come through. But I'd also say the future is very bright. When you look at guys like Tom Green and Lachie Ash, they're starting to become established names in the competition. So, from our perspective it is impatience. We very much want it now, but we're under no illusions that the future's very bright for the club no matter what."

You don't have to spend much time around the GIANTS to see the bond between the likes of Coniglio, Greene, Kelly, Cal Ward, Nick Haynes and Lachie Whitfield. They’ve been teammates for over a decade, and bar Kelly who is still six games shy and Ward who achieved it last season, they will all bring up the 200 game milestone at the GIANTS within weeks of each other. They've also stayed loyal at the GIANTS, despite big money offers from elsewhere including Coniglio, who turned down the likes of Carlton and Hawthorn at the end of 2019.

"It was a funny time. In my mind it was always going to be at the GIANTS (playing 200 games) and while there was probably external noise and maybe even some internal, I always felt quite confident that it would be here," he said. "There'll be a few on the flights coming over from Perth, my Nonna who is 89, about to turn 90 is a special addition. She doesn't get over to many games, so it'll be nice to see her this week, there’ll be a fair few Italians making the trip over.”
 

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Cogs misses out on the KSM again! Joint runner-up, with Tom Green this year. But a bloody fantastic year. one to be proud of!



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