Stephen Coniglio

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Stephen Coniglio has returned to the senior GWS side after a long injury layoff, but he has not resumed full-time inside midfielder duties despite the team's lack of soldiers. At the age of 32, he has been deemed fit only for occasional centre bounce attendances, instead lining up mostly on a half forward flank. Many ageing stars in his career stage have been shifted to half back to enjoy the ball coming at them rather than having to make the play. It is a measure of how important outside run is to the Giants' gameplan that he hasn't been given that cushy role.

Stephen Coniglio has returned to the senior GWS side after a long injury layoff, but he has not resumed full-time inside midfielder duties despite the team's lack of soldiers. At the age of 32, he has been deemed fit only for occasional centre bounce attendances, instead lining up mostly on a half forward flank. Many ageing stars in his career stage have been shifted to half back to enjoy the ball coming at them rather than having to make the play. It is a measure of how important outside run is to the Giants' gameplan that he hasn't been given that cushy role.

Stephen Coniglio returned to the GWS senior side recently from a long-term gluteal nerve injury, and spent a couple of weeks warming up in the half forward role which he had settled into in 2024 prior to his injury. Last week he was swung into the centre to play on ball, and led clearances for the Giants for the game with seven, the closest next in orange being three. The problem was that this had been Tom Green's midfield prior to Cogs' return, and Green was nowhere to be seen as the Bulldogs tore them apart. Is Cogs' best role in the guts? We find out this week, perhaps.

Stephen Coniglio was probably the poster boy for the Leon Cameron administration at GWS, featured in a recent documentary as being the target of some quite confronting one-on-one coaching methods, sometimes producing his best but often seeing him played out of position or not in the side at all. His natural game seems to be on ball with some forward rotations, a mix that should be able to be accommodated in a modern team set up without him having to spend too much time away from the middle. Perhaps a caretaker coach can unlock his best instincts, as a boon for his fantasy owners.

Stephen Coniglio has been a bellwether for the GWS Giants: given leadership responsibilities perhaps before his time, obviously highly talented, frequently injured and struggling to carry a weight of expectation. Despite being a co-captain he has not been used in his most favoured position, asked to play small forward too much for fantasy owners' liking last year as he carried ankle and foot problems. This preseason all lights are green, and while he has burned many a fantasy coach before he has the potential to bounce back to premium level... as does his team.

Stephen Coniglio had a poor 2020 as did a lot of his teammates, underperforming so badly that the team didn't even make finals despite a stellar list. He spent too much time forward in some games without showing a particular predilection for forward craft, and in others just didn't fire. He was tipped as a bounceback candidate in preseason as we know his ceiling is elite, but again he has disappointed in his first two outings and the question is still open on him and the team he leads. Today's opponent will be a strong test for him.

Stephen Coniglio has gone under the fantasy radar a bit this year with focus on returning stars and injuries to Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly, but he has continued to anchor the GWS midfield doing his job every week. The personnel around him have changed from week to week, yet Cogs is almost the only reliable conveyance in a star-studded engine room.

Stephen Coniglio missed all but a few minutes of the 2019 season after a very early ACL rupture, and he comes back to a GWS midfield that hit new heights while he was gone, good enough to reach the grand final. How does he work with Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper in the engine room? Does he suffer the fate of veterans Nathan Jones and Jack Ziebell in moving outside the centre square to play a role on a flank or even deeper? He has not shown much positional flexibility in previous seasons, so it is an open question for fantasy coaches.

Cogs keeps grinding

While not as impressive as his colossal 110 average from 2018, Coniglio's output is better than the numbers indicate considering the injury-affected donut woven into his average. He scored 100 points in 60% of games, including a mammoth 192 against the Suns. Aside from an effective Mark Hutchings tag, most attention went to more damaging teammates.
Now the first stand-alone captain in the Giants' history, Stephen Coniglio enters what could be his best year after the knee cartilage damage suffered mid-season. The tough and tireless runner deserves a pick in the opening rounds, although keep in mind that he's been prone to injuries throughout his career.

Stephen Coniglio is one of a number of younger midfielders whom the Giants will be relying upon to take up the engine room slack left by the departed Dylan Shiel. He is good enough to carry the extra load, and his fantasy scoring should increase as he spends more time in the guts and less time resting forward as Shiel used to do for GWS. He will be keenly watched by fantasy coaches in preseason to see if he has the wherewithal to graduate to premium scoring status in 2019.

Cogs turns engine room

Following an injury-riddled 2017 ruined by ankle problems, Stephen Coniglio announced himself as an elite midfielder of the competition with a breakout campaign featuring personal bests in kicks, marks and goals. The Giants number three added a further string to his bow last year, registering the tenth most score involvements per game in the competition.
A prospective free agent at seasons end, speculation has already begun on what the midfielder's decision will be. Entering the typical peak years for a footballer and with immense responsibility placed on his shoulders, fantasy coaches and Leon Cameron alike will have high expectations. He is a worthy first round selection and would present terrific value if he fell lower.