Adam Kingsley admits a tough selection call looms between Xavier O'Halloran and Nick Haynes for Saturday night's monster semi-final with Port Adelaide as he encouraged Adelaide Crows fans to jump on the GIANTS burgeoning bandwagon.
With star midfielder Stephen Coniglio returning from an eye injury and the GIANTS getting through their final training session unscathed, they are in a luxurious position of having a full complement of players to choose from.
O'Halloran was the late inclusion last week for Coniglio and looms as the unlucky omission, with Kingsley admitting Haynes' "versatility is really important" as a substitute option.
"That's what it was last week (a choice between O'Halloran and Haynes). It probably lends itself to being more like that, than not," Kingsley said.
"We're really healthy, as healthy as we’ve been all year really.
"We won't have any question marks around players leading into the game, which is nice. It's a really good position to be in, but that's the first stage. Obviously, we've got a massive challenge going back to where Port Adelaide beat us really convincingly."
The GIANTS enjoy a six win and four loss record from their last ten visits to the Adelaide Oval, but hanging over their head is the 51-point defeat they suffered at the hands of their semi-final opponents in round 22.
"I had to watch it again unfortunately, it wasn't a great watch. We had quite a few lessons come out of that. Their intensity was far greater than ours, that was the foundation of the game," Kingsley stated.
There were two crucial absentees from that clash for the GIANTS though in forward-line dynamos Brent Daniels and Toby Bedford, two of the best pressure players forward of centre in the competition, and massive tone setters for the GIANTS’ style of play.
"That changes our side significantly. That speed in the front half is really important. It'll be interesting to see how much impact those two can have."
Kingsley conceded the uncertainty over the make-up of Port's forward line, due to injury clouds hanging over Charlie Dixon and Todd Marshall, does affect their match-up planning.
The coach's mind is already set on conjuring up a ploy to nullify All-Australian guns Connor Rozee and Zak Butters though, but he wasn't ready to divulge exactly what that is.
"I'm not going to tell you. They dominated the game last time, all of their midfielders did in fact. We're well aware of their strengths and what's possible if we don't get the job done there. We'll have plans," he said.
As a 170-game premiership player with the Power, Kingsley is more than cognisant with the impact the crowd of his former side can have on a big stage, even if he was happy to play down his own exploits in South Australia.
"Yeah, I wouldn't say 'decorated player', but I was a player there. I certainly loved my time at Port Adelaide, they're a great club, really well supported so that'll be a challenge in itself. Their support base is loud and passionate."
The GIANTS' social media team has been as cheeky as usual in calling for Crows fans to jump on their bandwagon ahead of the game and Kingsley was happy to tow the company line on that front.
"I'm sure there won't be a great call to arms needed, knowing Adelaide well. If we can get more people showing up supporting the GIANTS then I'm certainly all for it."
How much support the GIANTS get from the other teams through the rest of the finals series is unknown, but the respect from outside is certainly there.
Regardless of what transpires across the rest of September the GIANTS are now widely accepted as a massive premiership threat across the country and the coach is welcoming the attention.
"It's nice. The guys have played a really good brand of footy and played their way into that. It's nice to have these guys get recognised a bit more in Melbourne, but while that's great it doesn't get the job done for us.
"Once you make finals you're not just satisfied with that, we wanted to win one, now we've done that we want to win two," Kingsley added.
That first finals win ensured veteran forward Daniel Lloyd will play his 100th game this week before he retires at season's end, and after rising from the obscurity of amateurs football to get a crack in the big time, his journey will be honoured in the lead-up to Saturday night's mammoth occasion.
"It's a great footy story. To come from where he's come from, to persist, it's a reflection of his workrate, of his character. We were well aware we needed to win a final to get him to 100 games. We'll watch a highlights video in recognition of him and then it's back to getting the job done and playing your roles," Kingsley said.
