Everything about the captaincy at the GIANTS has seemingly come easy to Toby Greene.

He's playing the game as well as he ever has - and that's saying something.

His team is back in finals contention and, in the view of many, a serious shot of contending for the flag once more in the near future.

And in his first season in the leadership role, the GIANTS superstar says it's made him a better human.

Speaking to AFL.com.au ahead of the GIANTS' virtual elimination final with Essendon at home on Saturday afternoon, Greene is adamant the captaincy hasn't influenced what has been arguably his finest campaign in the game.

The two-time All-Australian has kicked a career best 54 goals and sits second in the competition for score involvements per game.

But it's off the field, where being anointed the GIANTS outright skipper, has wielded the largest influence.

"It's helped me become a better person, I'd say.

"I don't think I've changed anything in terms of my game. I don't think about anything on the field whether I'm captain or whether I'm not, it's all the same process.

"But it makes you get outside yourself, you've got to think about 40 guys on the list and working with the coaches, and it probably gives you a more holistic sense of what goes on at the footy club and I've really enjoyed that," Greene said.

While he might deny that the captaincy has helped his game, it certainly hasn't hurt.

Greene has been catapulted into 'best player in the AFL' discussions in 2023 and his on-field maturity has shifted the public discourse onto what he does so brilliantly in matches, rather than the flaws.

"I mean, it's better than the negative stuff, but I'm just trying to do my best for the team. It's part of the game, part of being in a public eye. I'm just worrying about what I can do and help us be the best we can."

And the GIANTS at their best have looked capable of beating anyone once more, in 2023.

A club record seven-game winning run in Adam Kingsley's first season in charge has prompted discussion that the GIANTS, against expectations, may be a premiership chance again over the next couple of seasons.

That is comforting for the likes of 29-year-old Greene, long-time teammates Stephen Coniglio, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield and others, that their dreams of achieving the ultimate in orange and charcoal, aren't yet dashed.

"Yeah, I mean it probably surprised me a bit this year as well," Greene said.

"We'll take a lot of confidence out of the last three months. At the moment, I'm trying to make sure we play finals, but I think there's enough evidence there to suggest we can match it with the best teams. We just have to do it for a whole season."

"Some of the improvement we've seen in a lot of the young boys, that's what makes us a better team and they've come on in leaps and bounds. We've still got a long way to go. We'll worry about these two games and then, going forward, we think we're in a good position to have a crack."

That renewed confidence about the GIANTS' prospects is, in a large way, down to their new coach.

Both Kingsley and now Greene have been at pains to point out how critical the coach-captain relationship, which is sometimes understated, is at a football club.

"I think it's super important for a new coach coming to a club. 'Kingers' wouldn't have known many players coming in here.

"I'm still building my relationship with him, and the boys really love what he's brought and the values and how he coaches and what he wants from us. He expects high standards, but we want to deliver, and we think we can."

Those standards were set early from the new man in charge.

There can be a tendency for new coaches to enjoy the luxury of reduced expectations in a first season in the role, but Kingsley set his team the task of trying to play finals in 2023.

A pre-season meeting at the GIANTS reaffirmed that goal, with any idea of a three-year plan being rejected.

The sentiment was to give the finals in 2023 a 'red hot crack'.

They are now just two wins away from locking that top eight spot away, but a defeat will extinguish those desires.

"It's a bloody good position to be in to be honest," Greene said.

"We've got two huge games. We've got to worry about this one first. We've got the Bombers up here who have been good. Last home game of the year, so we want to put in, and we were disappointed with last week as well, so we want to respond, and we're excited."

If the stakes weren't high enough, the popular Daniel Lloyd’s shock retirement will provide further inspiration.

The 31-year-old will be three games shy of 100 after this weekend and his teammates are desperate to get him there.

"He's got young Parker (Lloyd’s son) rolling around hoping he gets to 100 games, and I think he's got some talent, so we need to get him there."

"It'd be awesome to win the last two and have a crack at finals, so that's all we'll be worried about, and hopefully we can."