Former GWS Giants skipper Stephen Coniglio has revealed the true reason he was a late exclusion from his side’s elimination final win over St Kilda in week one of the AFL finals last weekend.
The champion midfielder was a very late exclusion last week after reporting blurred vision following a hit to the eye from a ball at training.
That much was already public knowledge.
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What wasn’t so liberally released from of the Giants camp, was who was at fault — until now.
Speaking in the victorious Giants rooms after their 23-point upset win over Port Adelaide, Daisy Pearce asked Coniglio to “Take us back to the emotions of last week and what happened.”
She went on: “You had to sit and watch your team in a cut-throat elimination final because you got hit in the face with a footy. What was that like?”
With a cheeky smile on his face, the 29-year-old knew it was the right time to call out the true culprit for the incident.
He had only just been lauding the impact of the Giants’ inaugural skipper Callan Ward when he turned on his great mate over the incident — in good fun, of course.
“I can say it now because it’s done; the guy that I just mentioned, Callan Ward — he may have been the one (to injure me). I’ve been protecting him all week,” Coniglio said.
“I just got a ball to flick my eyes. (My vision was) pretty much blurred.
“I kept it (a secret) until the day of the game to make the call.
“It was difficult to see for me and I just made that call. I was fighting to play, but I knew I was up against it.”
The vice-captain was crucial and arguably best-on-ground for GWS as the underdogs booked their spot in a preliminary final against Collingwood next week.
Coniglio produced a first-half masterclass and Jesse Hogan slotted four goals in GWS’s stirring 13.15 (93) to 9.16 (70) semi-final triumph on Saturday night.
Coniglio inspired a five-goal blitz in 10 golden minutes in the second quarter at Adelaide Oval as the Giants sealed their spot in the preliminary final against the flag favourites next Friday night at the MCG.
Brisbane host Carlton at the Gabba in the other preliminary final on Saturday from 17.15 AEST.
Port exit the finals with consecutive losses, as did fellow top-four outfit Melbourne on Friday night.
Coniglio collected 22 disposals, kicked a goal, and had five clearances and eight score involvements to halftime.
The ex-skipper finished with 30 disposals and two majors while fellow stalwarts Lachie Whitfield (33 disposals), Josh Kelly (21, two goals), Tom Green (29) and Callan Ward (24) were other standouts.
Hogan and captain Toby Greene (three goals) were attacking menaces and defenders Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley were superb.
Port’s Willie Rioli dazzled with three goals, Zak Butters had 25 touches and Dan Houston 22, while Travis Boak collected 21 disposals in what could be the 35-year-old’s last game.
All Australian skipper Greene and Rioli potted two goals each in a free-flowing first term with the Giants ahead 4.4 to 4.1 at quarter time.
The Power hit the front via a Willem Drew left-footer but GWS responded with the match-defining burst: 5.1 to 0.1 in a 10-minute purple patch.
The Giants stunned the 45,250-strong pro-Port crowd, creating a match-high 33-point break before leading by 29 at halftime, 9.11 to 5.6.
The advantage should have been greater: after the five consecutive majors, the visitors scored six successive behinds in a period of complete domination.
Adding injury to insult for the Power, they lost ruckman Scott Lycett to a right ankle ailment.
Port’s Rioli crumbed a goal to opening third-quarter scoring and the hosts were within 18 points some 15 minutes into the term.
But the Giants, with Conigilo adding another major, then rallied but were again cruelled by inaccuracy.
In their wayward stretch, GWS added 2.9 but still held a 26-point three quarter-time buffer, 11.15 to 8.7.
The Power issued a last-ditch press but couldn’t cash in, kicking 1.4 to sneak 16 points down with 10 minutes remaining.
But GWS forward Jake Riccardi snapped Port’s spirit with a long-range set-shot from near a boundary line before skipper Greene rubber-stamped victory with his third goal.
GWS last played a preliminary final in 2019 when they stunned Collingwood by four points, only to lose the grand final by 89 points to Richmond.
– With AAP
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