ASKED to shoulder significant responsibility in the midfield this season, Greater Western Sydney star Finn Callaghan has evolved his game, transitioning to a more operational brand of leadership to keep the Giants in the hunt.

The club's campaign has so far been defined by a horror injury run in the engine room, headlined by Tom Green who is sidelined for the season with a ruptured ACL, while Josh Kelly is out indefinitely with a persistent hip injury.

Yet, in handling the increased workload, Callaghan views leadership not as an extra burden, but as a natural evolution of playing his role effectively.

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"I don't really look at it like it's increased work. I feel like I'm just doing my job for the team and just trying to play to the best of my ability and help those around me," he told AFL.com.au.

"Everyone needs to step up with the loss of a few boys, and I feel like that's a great opportunity. It's exciting. I want to try to test myself against the best midfielders in the competition, and the best mids don't worry about who's out there with them. They just get the job done.

"It is also a great opportunity for me to improve my leadership and really try to lead those with me around the ball, and I feel like that's improving every week."

This rise in responsibility follows a disrupted summer for Callaghan, who is only now nearing peak fitness. 

A hip flexor injury in February sidelined the speedster for a significant period of the pre-season, forcing him to watch the Giants' practice matches from the boundary.

However, after stringing together several weeks of consistent training and games, he feels he is "hitting his straps".

The numbers back up the claim. Through the first five rounds, Callaghan is averaging a career-high 31 disposals and six inside 50s per game, eclipsing his breakout 2025 average of 28 and five.

To help the depleted midfield cohesive, Callaghan has adopted a dual approach to leadership: setting the standard on the track and serving as a tactical anchor on game day.

"Around the club, it's really important to make sure I'm training really hard, setting a good example," he said

"We've got a lot of young boys, so I'm trying to bring them along with me and teach them where they need to be. But I feel like we're a pretty self-driven group, so that comes naturally to a lot of people.

"Then on-field, it's all about trying to make sure I get my actions right, standing up when the team needs me, and just helping to communicate and direct out there.

"I've been around three (full) years under 'Kingers’' (coach Adam Kingsley) now. I know the game plan well, so I'm just helping those in pressure moments, making sure we're all on the same page and we're doing our jobs."

While Callaghan admits losing elite talents like Green and Kelly has left a significant void, the arrival of Clayton Oliver has provided a stabilising force to build a new identity - moving away from the "injury-hit" narrative and toward one of collective continuity.

With Oliver shifting into a more defensive and contested role to compensate for Green's absence, Callaghan has been afforded the freedom to attack the season as an explosive outside-in runner.

"With Clayton coming in, he's been awesome, and we're just starting to build that continuity as a midfield collectively," he said.

"We couldn't have expected any more. He's come in and played brilliantly, so it's been great having him in there.

"It's a great challenge for us on the weekend in the Sydney Derby, and we're looking to testing ourselves against a great side."