GREATER Western Sydney coach Adam Kingsley says the club is working "incredibly hard" behind the scenes to secure the futures of several key players, a mission bolstered by the announcement of a fresh re-signing.
Defender Jayden Laverde has signed a two-year contract extension with the Giants after crossing to the club from the Bombers in the off-season.
Kingsley said Laverde had integrated seamlessly into the squad, noting his presence is especially vital with star defender Sam Taylor still sidelined.
Asked if the club is similarly focused on a new deal for captain Toby Greene, Kingsley confirmed that the Giants remain intent on retaining more of their key talent.
"There are a bunch of players that we want to sign on, and we are in constant discussions with them - whether it is Toby (Greene), Jesse (Hogan), or others," he said.
"We'll continue to work with those guys, and hopefully, we can get more of those signatures along the way."
The 2026 season represents a critical juncture for the Giants' list. Alongside Greene and Hogan, fellow veteran Stephen Coniglio is also out of contract, leaving the club with the significant task of securing three of its most decorated stars.
The Giants have had to navigate a quadruple-injury blow ahead of Saturday's match with Essendon - Ryan Angwin (concussion), Leek Aleer (ankle) and Xavier O’Halloran (ankle) will all miss, with the latter facing an extended stint on the sidelines after undergoing surgery to repair a syndesmosis injury.
The forward line has also been hit hard, with a battered Hogan to miss after failing to recover from a hip injury.
The "deep cork" sustained last week has not responded to treatment as quickly as hoped, forcing the club to manage the star forward symptomatically until he regains full mobility.
"I don't expect it to be a long-term injury, but I've been proven wrong by those in the past," Kingsley said of Hogan.
"We'll just manage the symptoms and hope to have him back as soon as possible."
Despite missing four key starters, Kingsley remains confident the Giants' depth can bridge the gap.
"It's a little frustrating, but that's the game. Sometimes you go through patches like this where you just have to manage it, and we'll do that," he said.
"We have real trust in our depth, so we'll need to lean on that again this week."
Kingsley said Jake Riccardi is likely to be recalled for the first time since round six to cover the loss of Hogan, with the 26-year-old to play as a back-up ruck in addition to his customary forward role.
"Jake has played well in the VFL. He's been really good ahead of the ball. He is the natural choice to come back into the side, and I suspect that will happen," he said.