ADAM Kingsley preached for patience in the pre-season. His new program, under a new regime was going to take time to click. He was right.
After starting 2023 with just one win in the first month and only three wins after 10 rounds, Greater Western Sydney has remarkably progressed to a semi-final next weekend after sweeping St Kilda aside at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
SAINTS v GIANTS Full match coverage and stats
The Giants won just six games last year and finished 16th on the ladder, resulting in a winter of change. Leon Cameron departed after round 10, and Mark McVeigh and his temporary coaching panel moved on at the end of the season after Kingsley landed his first senior job.
That backdrop and the challenge of resetting the Giants after losing Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper to Richmond is why Kingsley is firmly in the coach of the year conversation.
Kingsley made the bold call to make a leadership change in February. Toby Greene has been celebrated far and wide all season long, culminating with the superstar being appointed All-Australian captain last Wednesday night. But the decision to demote Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio from roles as co-captain had the potential to create an issue.
It hasn't.
Coniglio missed Saturday's win due to an eye injury he copped at training on Thursday, running out of time to prove his fitness on game day, but was named in the All-Australian squad after the best season of his career.
Kelly was more influential than any other player on the ground, cruising around wide expanses of the MCG like the Rolls Royce he is. The 28-year-old was immense in the first half, amassing 19 disposals by the main break to go with two goals, including one on the run to stifle some of St Kilda's momentum late in the second quarter, finishing with 27 touches and 677m gained in a brilliant performance.
The Victorian wasn't the only former top-five pick with outside speed and class that terrorised Ross Lyon's side. Lachie Whitfield and Lachie Ash ran amok off half-back.
Whitfield collected 31 disposals and 518m gained, while Ash amassed 31 touches and 588m gained, providing plenty of drive out of the back half and between the arcs.
Speed kills, and it was Greater Western Sydney’s pace that was the story of the day. Toby Bedford and Brent Daniels set the tone in the forward half at ground level, harassing all day.
The Giants had long patches of dominance that silenced a St Kilda crowd that hadn't seen a final in Melbourne since 2011 and hadn't seen a final at the MCG since Collingwood won the 2010 Grand Final replay a week after the last drawn Grand Final.
Greater Western Sydney kicked eight goals in a row from the 18 minute mark of the first quarter until the 20th minute of the second quarter to almost end the game before the Saints kicked four goals in time-on to give them a pulse at half-time.
The same thing happened again in the third quarter. The Saints kicked the last three goals of the term – all in time-on – to reduce the margin to under five goals again after the Giants had put the foot down.
When Jack Higgins kicked the first goal of the final term, the margin was three goals, but that was as close as it would get. Jake Riccardi responded with his third and should have kicked a couple more goals, missing two gettable set shots in the fourth quarter.
All-Australian key defender Sam Taylor won the race against the clock to be fit in time for Saturday and was involved in a box office match-up with Max King, who kicked two goals and had some big moments, although the Giant won a split decision.
Unlike some of his teammates, Tom Green is yet to earn a blazer, but the Canberran looked every bit a future Brownlow Medallist, producing another stellar performance, this time in just his second final.
The 22-year-old finished with 36 disposals – only Jack Steele had more – 16 contested possessions, nine inside 50s, eight score involvements, five clearances, five tackles and 705m gained, looking every bit a player built for the big stage.
Greater Western Sydney has now played 14 finals in its history, including the 2019 Grand Final, with more to come this month. How many more? Don't count on it just being one more. Kingsley has done a marvellous job to date. And it feels like he is just getting started.
