Josh Kelly will become the GIANTS' third on-field captain this season when he leads the team against West Coast at GIANTS Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The smooth-moving midfielder will captain the GIANTS for the first time and lead a young line-up that will welcome the return of All-Australian defender Nick Haynes.

Kelly will take the reins from Toby Greene after he fractured his right shoulder and joined captain Stephen Coniglio on the sidelines for the next month.

"He's the best person to captain our football club right now. He's the standout," Cameron said on Thursday.

"It's exciting for him. He's got to stick to what he knows and he's got to be himself. It was a bit of a no-brainer for us. 

"The good thing about it is his unbelievable, selfless approach over the last six or seven weeks when we've been down on numbers and he's been filling in different positions.

"He plays mid, he plays wing, he plays high half-forward, and yet his performances have been first-class. 

"That's the sort of player we're talking about and that's the sort of reason why it was an easy decision."

Kelly is one of only three players from the GIANTS' seven-man leadership group – along with Jacob Hopper and Lachie Whitfield – to be fit to face the Eagles on Sunday. He has been part of the leadership group since 2017 and was vice-captain in 2018-19. 

The 26-year-old will lead an inexperienced GIANTS team that had 12 players with under 50 games' experience against the Tigers and has now lost Greene and half-back Harry Perryman.

The backline should at least gain some valuable experience with the return of Haynes and the versatile Sam Reid from hamstring injuries.

Jeremy Finlayson is also set to return after serving a one-week suspension.

The GIANTS will take on the Eagles on Sunday at GIANTS Stadium at 1:10pm.