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GWS star Coniglio avoids finger surgery

3 minute read

GWS vice-captain Stephen Coniglio will likely front up for their AFL clash with St Kilda, having avoided surgery on a dislocated finger.

STEPHEN CONIGLIO poses during the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL media day in Sydney, Australia.
STEPHEN CONIGLIO poses during the Greater Western Sydney Giants AFL media day in Sydney, Australia. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Speedster Lachie Whitfield is unlikely to play in the GWS Giants AFL clash with St Kilda in Canberra on Saturday, but there's better prospects for Stephen Coniglio and Phil Davis.

Reigning club best and fairest and All-Australian half back Whitfield suffered a cork to his quadriceps early in Saturday's AFL derby win over Sydney.

"Whitfield's probably more unlikely than likely to play," Giants coach Leon Cameron said.

Midfield dynamo Coniglio, who led the side against Sydney with co-captains Davis and Callan Ward injured, dislocated a finger during the derby.

He played out the match with a protective glove before it was put back in place.

"It's still obviously swollen up but he's a tough player... but he's still got to get through the main (training) session tomorrow and see how he pulls up.

"Clearly lots of players just like to play and they can play through some sort of pain barrier but we've got to make sure that he's functioning right, that he can handle the ball fine and he's ready to go and if that's all ticked off then he'll play on Saturday."

Cameron was confident the 25-year-old Coniglio, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will ultimately re-sign but hinted it could be a long process.

"There are two parts to a negotiation; there's the club who want to do it ASAP and then there's the player and the manager that will take there time.

"Normally you get a happy medium in between and we've seemed to do that over the last three or four years, and I don't see that not happening again in the next month or two."

Davis, who failed to get over the line for the derby after an ankle injury, is firming for a return against the Saints in Canberra.

"(He's) probably 70-30. We'll asses him tomorrow, but he made some really good ground," Cameron said.

"We were thinking Friday he was going to get there, Saturday he pulled up a little bit sore, so that's why we pulled him out Saturday night."

Cameron said GWS weren't buoyed by St Kilda's 29-point loss to Adelaide on the weekend, citing the closeness of the competition so far this season.

"It's so tight, you can't take any quarter, any five minute period for granted and we won't be doing that this weekend," he said.

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