“It’s been a big year.”
GIANTS’ vice-captain Stephen Coniglio can be forgiven for understating how big his 2019 season was.
“The break’s come at a good time, it’ll be good to just get away and recharge the batteries I guess,” he told GIANTS TV.
Coniglio signed a seven-year contract extension late in the season to remain a GIANT for life and selflessly withdrew himself from selection ahead of the Grand Final as he battled to return from a knee injury.
The 25-year-old said the season had been one of “mixed emotions” and that bringing some perspective to his situation helped as external speculation increased about where he was going to be playing in 2020.
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A list of little things on his phone providing balance every morning.
“I guess I found myself coming back to what I was most grateful for most in life and that centred me out,” Coniglio said.
“Every morning before I’d get to the club reading that and it’d just put me in a better space and I wouldn’t even be thinking about externally what’s happening.
“I didn’t read too much press as it was. I knew I had to make my own decision for myself and once I made that call it was just such a relief.
“I’m just over the moon to be able to stay for song long.”
While Coniglio missed the GIANTS’ finals campaign, he reflects on it fondly.
As one of the club’s inaugural players, the GIANTS’ 2019 finals campaign is amongst his favourite memories in his eight seasons at the club despite it not having the happiest of endings in the Grand Final.
“We did have an incredible run into finals and then with our first, second and third game we were fantastic in each,” he said.
“They were some of the better memories we’ve had at this footy club and it was a really special run.
“We fell short. It was tough to watch in the stands and I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for the boys.
“As long as we can grow from it, I think that’s the most important thing.”
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Growth. That’s another highlight Congilio takes from the GIANTS’ finals campaign.
While he watched each final from the grandstands he was buoyed by the growing orange army around him.
“When you cast back a couple of years ago and in the prelim against Richmond and you compare the orange in the crowd in the Grand Final to what it was like then and it was just fantastic,” he said.
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“After walking onto the ground after the Collingwood win down to that far end and looking at three levels of orange and then you look over the other side and there’s more orange it gave you goose bumps and a real sense that this is just going to get bigger.”
With a rollercoaster 2019 now done and dusted, Coniglio’s looking forward to what 2020 brings.
“I look at it with great excitement,” he said.
“You don’t have to be Einstein to know that we’ve got a group that’s capable of some really great things.
“Obviously we still haven’t won that first premiership, but I’ve got no doubt that the boys go away now and get a good rest and 2020 onwards is looking bright for the footy club.”
