Coach Admits Need for Improved Performance
Greater Western Sydney coach Adam Kingsley has acknowledged that it’s time for the Giants to translate their in-week strategies into on-field success. The team has struggled at the start of the 2026 season, securing only one win out of their first four games. This win came in the Opening Round on March 7, with the rest of the matches resulting in consecutive losses.
Ahead of GWS’s Gather Round clash against Richmond in the Barossa on Sunday, Kingsley emphasized that the Giants understand their issues but need to focus on execution. “We’ve gone to work over the last fortnight on our game. We feel like we’ve identified it, we’re aware of what we needs to do, now it’s just a matter of action,” he said.
“Knowing is different to doing, so let’s get out there and do.”
Player Availability and Squad Updates
Kingsley confirmed that several key players will be available for the upcoming match, including Jack Buckley (concussion), Brent Daniels (hamstring), Toby Bedford (hamstring), and Aaron Cadman (pelvis). Leek Aleer has also been named in the squad.
While the return of these stars is welcomed, Kingsley stressed that simply having more players on the field won’t fix the Giants’ problems. “It’s nice to have them back, but we’ve got other things to fix rather than just having some players come back in,” he said.
“We get an opportunity to go out and play against an opposition and test the things that we’ve been working on and put them into action. It doesn’t matter who we play, we’ll try and play that Giants way; we need to do that better in all phases of the game.”
One of the areas the team has identified as needing improvement is their inside-50 entry and ability to kick a winning score. “And it doesn’t matter who we’ve got ahead of the ball, really,” Kingsley added.
Ruckman Changes and Team Dynamics
Kingsley has decided to make a change in the ruck position, benching Kieren Briggs in favor of Nicholas Madden. “We’ve been ok in that position, but maybe ok is not quite where we want to be,” he said.
“Nick’s been playing really well in the VFL. He had a really strong game against Collingwood at VFL level, so we’ll reward that. We’ll give him an opportunity, and that competition for that spot will bring the best out of all of our rucks, not just Kieren and Nick.”
Addressing Community Concerns
The coach was also asked about Gerard Healy’s critical comments regarding football participation in Western Sydney. During a recent appearance on SEN, the 1988 Brownlow Medallist expressed concerns that growth hasn’t matched the AFL’s investment in the region.
Kingsley responded by acknowledging the broader discussion. “That’s a broad discussion, isn’t it?” he said. “That number was growing significantly, and then COVID hit. Unfortunately, it’s gone backwards from there, and now it’s starting to rebuild again.”
He added, “It’s clear that there’s plenty of work to do, and that’s certainly our footy club; we feel like we’re representing our community with pride and the way that they would want to be represented.”
“It’s an AFL responsibility, largely, isn’t it? We need all the support that we can get to grow the game, both from the Giants and the AFL, in this region.”
