THE ROOM erupted.
Greater Western Sydney’s resident prankster, Heath Shaw, was on stage last year at the club’s annual pre-finals dinner and appeared to be about to reveal his own playing future.
“Myself and the club have come to an agreement that … Stephen Coniglio’s re-signed with the football club.”
Having already locked away fellow big-name free agents Lachie Whitfield and Nick Haynes, Coniglio’s commitment was an, ahem, ‘Giant’ win for Leon Cameron’s team.
Heavyweight clubs Hawthorn and Carlton came hard for Coniglio, so his decision to re-sign for seven years seemed, and was, a significant moment.
GWS officials knew they’d lose quality players along the journey – there was no way to retain every first-round draftee the AFL gave them access to – but they’ve largely retained those they most wanted.
This was the Giants’ retort every time a media organisation wrote another story about their retention ‘problem’.
Their social media guy even had the cheek back in April to mock an AFL.com.au podcast that dared to raise the possibility of more movement.
GWS contested its first AFL Grand Final one month after the watershed Coniglio announcement.
Losing so convincingly to Richmond that day was disappointing, but clearing that hurdle after two previous preliminary final exits was a step forward.
Where the Giants are at in Grand Final week a year later could hardly be starker.
Still reeling from Zac Williams (Carlton) and, to a lesser extent, Aidan Corr (North Melbourne) opting to leave – on top of missing finals for the first time in five years – the true hammer blow was to come.
Million-dollar spearhead Jeremy Cameron, a restricted free agent like Williams and Corr, announced on Monday he’s off, too.
Cameron will be every bit as big an addition for Geelong as superstar Patrick Dangerfield was in 2015.
There was no way to spin this one; no way of saying he was one of those players the Giants didn’t really need or want.
“It’s disappointing to lose a player of the quality of Jeremy, and a really quality person,” GWS football boss Jason McCartney told SEN radio.
“It’s something we tend to deal with every year, to be honest, so we’ll push forward now and get the appropriate compensation.”
McCartney’s sentiments are right, but he knows this isn’t the same as the other times.
Cameron isn’t as replaceable as Dylan Shiel, Taylor Adams or Adam Treloar, the best footballers to depart the club until now. In fact, the Giants are overflowing with midfield riches.
The forward line sans Cameron? Not so much.
Harry Himmelberg and Jeremy Finlayson are complementary pieces rather than focal points, while Jake Riccardi shows great promise but is a five-gamer out of the VFL.
What McCartney and co. can make of this situation is the fascinating bit now.
They are certain to match the Cats’ offer and force a trade, yet GWS chief executive Dave Matthews made a pertinent point this week.
“Treloar and Shiel were worth two first-round picks (each) and are both very good players – but key forwards are hard to find,” Matthews told 3AW on Monday night.
That’s why draft choices might not be all that get this deal done. An appropriate player probably needs to be involved, too. Esava Ratugolea, perhaps?
The next month shapes as vital to the club’s short- and long-term direction.
Young midfielder Jackson Hately – a first-round selection two years ago – has requested a trade (to Adelaide), while Jye Caldwell and Xavier O’Halloran are weighing up their options.
Caldwell, in particular, is the subject of major rival interest.
On the flipside, Melbourne ruckman Braydon Preuss wants to become a Giant.
Matthews is adamant GWS remains a premiership contender and that Cameron’s departure means “more restructure than rebuild”.
However, the Giants first must figure out what’s gone wrong, from player exits to woefully inconsistent results and even Coniglio’s form dipping so much he was, shockingly, dropped late in the season.
They will ask themselves exactly that on Saturday night, when the Tigers hunt another premiership as GWS plots a restructure with a team that’s lost a generational talent.
Marc McGowan is an experienced sports journalist who’s covered Australian Football and tennis at the highest level. Now a freelancer, he worked most recently for AFL.com.au and has been published in The Herald Sun, The NT News, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier-Mail, The Australian and Australian Tennis Magazine. Marc completed an Honours degree in Communications from Monash University and has won awards for his feature writing.
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