Article about GWS midfielders not performing, especially Coniglio.
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The Giants are ‘miles off’ their best. Now they’re considering making a bold selection statement
TOM MORRIS JULY 13, 2020
The Giants are considering pulling a stunning selection move ahead of Saturday’s Round 7 game against Brisbane.
Foxfooty.com.au understands the possibility of dropping Stephen Coniglio has been genuinely discussed internally at Giants HQ, with the captain now fighting to hold his place for this weekend’s game.
The 26-year-old, who snubbed Hawthorn to sign a seven-season deal late last year, is yet to recapture his best footy in 2020.
Coach Leon Cameron is currently grappling with a selection squeeze due to Tim Taranto’s availability following a shoulder reconstruction and former captain Callan Ward’s return last week.
It leaves Coniglio in a precarious position and surprisingly scrambling for his place in the team he now leads, just six games into his full-time captaincy career.
Champion Data rates Coniglio ‘average’ for disposals, contested possessions, score involvements and metres gained in 2020. He had 22 touches in Sunday’s loss to Port Adelaide in Round 6 and was far from the team’s worst player.
But at 3-3, GWS is 10th on the ladder more than one-third through the home and away season. Last year’s Grand Finalists – like Coniglio – are yet to hit their straps and have testing games against the Lions and Tigers across the next fortnight.
At the very least, sources have confirmed GWS desperately wants more from Coniglio, who has been part of a midfield that has dropped from second to 15th in the AFL for clearances this year.
Omitting Coniglio would be a significant call for Cameron, who has been all but assured of a new deal but is yet to put pen to paper beyond 2020.
The Giants are yet to win an inside 50 count in any of their six games, which was a statistic that prompted dual North Melbourne premiership player David King to claim Cameron’s men are “miles off”.
“I want to know what has happened to their midfield. Where are they?” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack on Sunday night.
“They’ve gone missing. They really have. It’s not just one night. They had 26 inside 50s last week and 33 today (Round 6).
“They are being saved by the conversion of their forward 50 … They are miles off where they were last year as a midfield core. Until that corrects, they are going to be up and down and a really fluky team. There is no logical reason for it. They just aren’t tough enough at the moment.
“That’s why their numbers reflect individually the way they do.”
King added: “I think Leon Cameron will be sitting back thinking ‘how are we getting smashed as clearances’?
“They’ve gone from corridor to boundary. They’ve become boring. Something has to change. There has to be a drastic shift at the Giants, regardless of them being 3-3.”
FOX SPORTS ›
The Giants are ‘miles off’ their best. Now they’re considering making a bold selection statement
TOM MORRIS JULY 13, 2020
The Giants are considering pulling a stunning selection move ahead of Saturday’s Round 7 game against Brisbane.
Foxfooty.com.au understands the possibility of dropping Stephen Coniglio has been genuinely discussed internally at Giants HQ, with the captain now fighting to hold his place for this weekend’s game.
The 26-year-old, who snubbed Hawthorn to sign a seven-season deal late last year, is yet to recapture his best footy in 2020.
Coach Leon Cameron is currently grappling with a selection squeeze due to Tim Taranto’s availability following a shoulder reconstruction and former captain Callan Ward’s return last week.
It leaves Coniglio in a precarious position and surprisingly scrambling for his place in the team he now leads, just six games into his full-time captaincy career.
Champion Data rates Coniglio ‘average’ for disposals, contested possessions, score involvements and metres gained in 2020. He had 22 touches in Sunday’s loss to Port Adelaide in Round 6 and was far from the team’s worst player.
But at 3-3, GWS is 10th on the ladder more than one-third through the home and away season. Last year’s Grand Finalists – like Coniglio – are yet to hit their straps and have testing games against the Lions and Tigers across the next fortnight.
At the very least, sources have confirmed GWS desperately wants more from Coniglio, who has been part of a midfield that has dropped from second to 15th in the AFL for clearances this year.
Omitting Coniglio would be a significant call for Cameron, who has been all but assured of a new deal but is yet to put pen to paper beyond 2020.
The Giants are yet to win an inside 50 count in any of their six games, which was a statistic that prompted dual North Melbourne premiership player David King to claim Cameron’s men are “miles off”.
“I want to know what has happened to their midfield. Where are they?” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack on Sunday night.
“They’ve gone missing. They really have. It’s not just one night. They had 26 inside 50s last week and 33 today (Round 6).
“They are being saved by the conversion of their forward 50 … They are miles off where they were last year as a midfield core. Until that corrects, they are going to be up and down and a really fluky team. There is no logical reason for it. They just aren’t tough enough at the moment.
“That’s why their numbers reflect individually the way they do.”
King added: “I think Leon Cameron will be sitting back thinking ‘how are we getting smashed as clearances’?
“They’ve gone from corridor to boundary. They’ve become boring. Something has to change. There has to be a drastic shift at the Giants, regardless of them being 3-3.”