WHEN Nat Fyfe texts you out of the blue suggesting you try botox, you should listen. Stephen Coniglio did. And it worked. The dual Brownlow medallist wasn't recommending cosmetic enhancements. Instead, it was a tip to solve a medical mystery. 

Coniglio has spent more time in hospital being operated on, scanned or meeting with specialists than playing over the past 12 months. After finishing runner-up in the Kevin Sheedy Medal in 2022 and 2023, 2024 was almost a write off. 

The 31-year-old dislocated his shoulder against Geelong in round 11 and was bound for a reconstruction from that moment on. But before he would undergo that operation, facial surgery was required to fix the five fractures he suffered early in the semi-final loss to Brisbane. His season ended before the Giants surrendered a 44-point lead at Engie Stadium.

Surgeons operated for almost six hours at Westmead Private Hospital, putting the left side of his face back together like a jigsaw puzzle. He then spent 15 hours in the intensive care unit having a torch shone in his eye every 20 minutes to ensure blood wasn't getting into his eye.

After recovering from two surgeries two weeks ahead of the birth of his second daughter in December, Coniglio returned in time for the Giants' Opening Round clash against Collingwood and played the first three games before another injury. This one far less serious on the surface, but far more mysterious. 

Coniglio initially thought he'd only miss a game with a glute issue. One week became two became three. It took three months and dozens of consultations with specialists to find the right treatment for a neural glute injury. 

GWS head of performance health Matt Cameron has worked in the AFL for 30 years and explored all the traditional remedies, from cortisone injections to acupuncture to overseas advice. Nothing worked. 

Fremantle midfielder Jaeger O'Meara is Coniglio's best mate and referenced the issue in passing to Fyfe. The Dockers great has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries over his 16-year career and knew another, less known use for botox injections. That piece of advice helped Coniglio reignite his season against Essendon last Thursday.

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"I tried everything traditional physiotherapy and had lots of scans on my spine, my pelvis, hamstrings – just everything – but to no avail. I was seeing specialists for help, trying to solve the source of the nerve pain. That didn't work. Throughout the period, Matty Cameron was just as frustrated as me trying to find answers. We had so many late-night texts to each other," Coniglio told AFL.com.au after his return game. 

"Footy works in funny ways sometimes. Nat cold messaged me and said to potentially look at a botox procedure. Telling your wife you're having a botox injection in your backside is funny. 

"He gave me that and Matty Cameron spoke to a few people at Fremantle about Nat's experience. We ended up going down that route and finding someone who would do it here in Sydney. After seven days he said you wouldn't feel much difference but after 10 it would clear up. I was happy to try anything. After seven days I could still feel the sharp neural pain when I ran, but after 10 days I couldn't feel a thing. It has worked. 

"I remember being 21 or 22 and Matty de Boer had come to the club and I knew he was friends with Nat and I was wondering how many guys reach out to Nat to pick his brain. I remember asking Nat if he would catch up. He'd just become a Brownlow medallist and he spent a couple of hours with me and gave me some tips to help my career. I'll never forget that, or the botox tip."

Last year didn't go to plan for Coniglio or Greater Western Sydney. The West Australian had been a key reason why they fell one point short of Collingwood in the 2023 preliminary final in Adam Kingsley's first season. Carrying a shoulder injury affected his confidence, impacting his ability to train during the week and execute on weekends.

But nothing can prepare you for what happened just before quarter-time in the semi-final. As he was walked around the boundary at Engie Stadium with his face swelling by the second, Coniglio thought he was going to miss out on another Grand Final, just like in 2019, although he didn't realise how serious the injury actually was.

"I played through last year with the shoulder knowing I wasn't at my best but just trying to contribute. The big one for me was the knock to the face in the semi-final. When I came off the ground I thought I was going to miss out on another prelim, potentially another Grand Final, but then it didn't go our way," he said.

"For me, overcoming that injury was really tough. I remember being in ICU after the operation and having them check my eye every 20 minutes because they were worried about too much blood going into my eye. That was incredibly challenging because you are so tired after an operation anyway. It was a long time to have a torch shined in your eyes. Dealing with that was incredibly challenging. 

"My daughter was one at that point and I was sharing food with her because I couldn't eat properly. Just confidence wise it was shocking. That month really rattled me and it was about building confidence in my body again. That was super tough, but I was always optimistic around playing again."

Coniglio finally returned in the VFL against Werribee at Avalon Airport Oval on July 5, then played managed minutes in the twos the following week ahead of a five-day turnaround and travel to Melbourne last Thursday night. He finished with 18 disposals in the 48-point win over Essendon at Marvel Stadium to kickstart a season he feared was over.  

"I wasn't just worried about this year, I was worried about when I was going to be able to run freely again, let alone play again," he said. "I couldn't see the light for a long period this year, so it was incredibly frustrating, especially after the second half of last year and the rest of my body actually feeling really, really good. This hasn't been muscle stuff or repetitive injury stuff, but while the rest of my body and mind was feeling good, I just couldn't get over it."

Just like when he sat down with Fyfe a decade ago, coffee catchups have moulded Coniglio’s personal and professional journey. They have led to business opportunities at Macellaria, improved his footy and even convinced his now wife to move back to Sydney from London.

During his stint on the sidelines this autumn and winter, Coniglio finally pulled the trigger on a project he'd been contemplating for years. 'Coffee with Cogs' launched on YouTube and Apple podcasts last month and has already involved 25 to 35-minute interviews with media personalities Michael Wipfli, Melissa Doyle and Matt Shirvington. 

"I think back to my life and I've reached out to a lot of people, like Nat Fyfe, for a coffee to pick their brains on a few things. I could probably name you 10 coffees that have changed my life and that's one question on the show: what's one coffee that changed your life?" he said.

"'Coffee with Cogs' is an idea I've had for a little while, probably in a way I've been a bit, not shy, but scared to pull the trigger on it and out something a little bit different out there. I'm a keen reader, keen listener of podcasts and watcher of shows on YouTube, so I wanted to create my own show where essentially I speak to people of all walks of life, people who have been really successful in their field, so you learn some inspiring stories from successful people across all industries, not just footy."

More episodes are ready to be published or in the works. But for now, Coniglio is getting back to work at his day job, chasing the premiership that has eluded a club he has helped build from scratch.