GWS coach Adam Kingsley has played down concerns surrounding a fresh shoulder setback for midfielder Stephen Conilgio, who was subbed out of Sunday's win over Richmond.
The former Giants skipper was replaced in the contest by sub James Peatling, with Coniglio holding conversations with Kingsley before ruling himself out of the remainder of the game at the final break.
Coniglio dealt with shoulder soreness and was unsure if he could see out the match with full impact, while the call to be removed from the match helped avoid the risk of re-injuring his shoulder after missing a month earlier in the season due to a similar issue.
The GWS veteran took the decision out of Kingsley's hands, deciding to sit out the final term and allow Peatling to slot into his place in midfield.
"He was a bit sore and a bit 'jeez I'm not sure I can push through', so we decided to sub him," Kingsley said of Coniglio after the game,
"We could bring James Peatling on, who was a like-for-like. It became a pretty easy decision in the end.
"[Coniglio] is an experienced player and knows his body really well. He knows what he can and can't do, so the discussions I was having with him throughout the third quarter was asking if he was able to manage and if not we'll sub.
"Ultimately, he made that call. Which is obviously a really difficult one to make. You want to stay out there and contribute further.
"I thought James Peatling came on and had an impact. Had fast feet around the stoppages and hunted the ball really well, so I think 'Cogs' made a pretty good call."
The Giants are expecting to lose Coniglio for this week's meeting with Gold Coast but could be forced into a midfield shuffle as tagger Toby Bedford potentially faces MRO scrutiny for a tackle on Tiger Tim Taranto that left the Richmond star with concussion.
The tackle, which saw Bedford pin both of Taranto's arms before the Tiger's head hit the ground with some force, could see the GWS speedster handed a suspension by the MRO on Monday evening.
Kingsley said he wasn't sure how the MRO would view the incident, with the GWS coach having his "fingers crossed" Bedford will be available to face the Suns on Saturday.
"I'm not sure. I haven't watched the replay, but I saw it live," Kingsley said of the incident.
Tim Taranto came from the ground following this contest.#AFLTigersGiants pic.twitter.com/vw4XAmBsBY
— AFL (@AFL) July 14, 2024
"It didn't feel like he drove or slung him or anything like that. It's hard to say, I really don't know.
"We'll keep our fingers crossed."
Key defender Sam Taylor remains sidelined for close to two weeks as he continues to deal with a groin injury. The All-Australian will work through a fortnight of no-contact training before eyeing a return against either Melbourne or Hawthorn in Rounds 20 and 21 respectively.
GWS, who sit in seventh on the ladder, face Brisbane, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs in their final three matches of the season.
A win this weekend against the Suns could see Kingsley's side rise as high as second on the ladder.
