GIANTS pair Stephen Coniglio and Jesse Hogan made successful returns in the VFL on Saturday night.
Both players had their minutes managed across the night as the GIANTS defeated the Casey Demons 8.7 (55) to 7.12 (54).
Xavier O'Halloran (19 disposals) and James Peatling (18 disposals, one goal) starred for the GIANTS, with veteran Matt de Boer responding well to being omitted last week, registering 25 disposals, six tackles and a goal.
GIANTS VFL coach Luke Kelly praised his side’s resilience and ability to grind through the contest in trying conditions at Casey Fields.
"I'm really proud of the gutsy win in trying conditions," Kelly said.
"To go down there against an undefeated opposition and put in the performance we did was really pleasing.
"It wasn't pretty to watch but our ability to compete and grind for four quarters was really great."
Stephen Coniglio
16 disposals, 11 tackles
"It was a really pleasing return for Cogs. You could see the Cogs of old early around the stoppage, he led the way with 11 tackles so it was really pleasing for him to run the game out."
Kieren Briggs
16 disposals, 29 hit-outs
"Kieren provided a really good contest against Majak Daw. His ability to learn throughout the game and make adjustments really helped us in getting over the line."
Matt Buntine
13 disposals, 5 marks
"Another really good defensive performance from Matt. There were moments we really had to fight throughout the second half and he led the way. His ability to organise a young defence alongside Jake Stein was really pleasing."
Tanner Bruhn
15 disposals, 4 marks
"Tanner looked really sharp inside and gave us some good drive throughout the contest. He is continuing to find his way around the ground to get more ball, but his hardness inside was really evident."
Jake Riccardi
2 goals, 4 marks
"Jake competed hard in the air and took his opportunities in front of goal. The most pleasing part of Jake's game was his forward pressure and ability to contribute defensively."
Zach Sproule
10 disposals, 1 goal
"Zach has found a level of consistency in his contest and work rate. His ability to stay in the contest for four quarters is a real strength."
Cam Fleeton
10 disposals, 6 tackles
"Cam got better as the game went on. His level of competitiveness along with his sound fundamentals allowed him to have some really crucial moments for us. He's getting better and better every week."
Xavier O'Halloran
19 disposals, 10 clearances
"Another one who has found real consistency inside. Xav's contested work and willingness inside to drive us forward from contest to contest was really impressive. He led the way with 10 clearances and didn't drop his work rate all night."
Matt de Boer
25 disposals, 1 goal
"Matt put in a really solid four quarter performance. Again he brought the physicality and work rate we needed. His composure around the contest really led the way for our midfield."
Jacob Wehr
9 disposals, 3 marks
"Probably a quieter night in terms of possessions for Jacob, but he was really clever in the way he controlled Casey's half forwards and had a big defensive impact."
Jesse Hogan
7 disposals, 3 marks
"Jesse never dropped his work rate which allowed him to have some crucial contests throughout the night. His ability to work with Riccardi and Sproule was really important."
Ryan Angwin
10 disposals, 6 marks
"Ryan's developed a level of consistency in his wing role now. He had six tackles and eight of his 14 disposals were contested. In a game not suited for outside players he was able to impact the contest inside which was very pleasing."
Will Shaw
8 disposals, 2 marks
"Will played his first full game on the wing. Again he picked up the role and the patterns really well which was evident late with a crucial contest in our defensive 50."
Jake Stein
14 disposals, 3 marks
"Jake and Callum Brown had two really good forwards in Ben Brown and Sam Weideman. He rarely gets beaten at the moment. He's another one who has found a really good level of consistency. He's starting to get the ball in hand which is great for a key defender."
James Peatling
18 disposals, 1 goal
"JP's ability to impact the contest offensively using his defensive starting positions was clearly evident late. His hardness in the contest was crucial in getting us over the line."
Callum Brown
7 disposals, 4 tackles
"Callum had a good battle against a good forward. Defensively he was really good and was able to get into positions to have an impact across the ground. His development will be taking his chances to be clean."
Fraser Kelly
7 disposals, 2 goals
"Really pleased with Fraser's ability to adapt to multiple roles. We gave him a defensive half forward role to play and he was diligent and stuck to his task. Off the back of that he was able to kick our winning goal. Really pleased with the way he is developing."
Josh Fahey
6 disposals, 1 mark
"It was Josh's first game since returning from injury and he looked sharp on the wing. He was able to move us forward with the ball in hand and will only continue to get better."
Sam Frost
5 disposals, 6 tackles
"Sam's defensive ability to come off his man and impact in the air was really pleasing. His defensive fundamentals allowed him to have an impact across all four quarters."
Max Monaghan
9 disposals, 2 marks
"Really happy with Max’s game, especially his contest and his tackling ability. His ability late to be strong in the contest and lay tackles was crucial for a young player and he never dropped his work rate which is a credit to him."
Harry Grintell
4 disposals, 1 goal
"Harry is another one who didn’t drop his work rate. He works hard to get himself into good spots which allowed him to impact the scoreboard. He’ll continue to work on his craft at VFL level."
Luke Fellows
4 disposals, 1 mark
"A really good learning night for Luke. It was his first time at VFL level and he had some really good moments both offensively and defensively. He’ll take learnings around what's necessary at this level and we look forward to seeing him again."
