GWS key forward Jeremy Cameron has leapt to the defence of under-fire captain Stephen Coniglio, suggesting the midfielder is an amazing leader of the AFL club.
The Giants sit outside the top eight after an underwhelming 3-4 start to the season.
They have suffered consecutive losses, admittedly to ladder-leaders Port Adelaide and second-placed Brisbane, and face Richmond in a grand-final rematch at Giants Stadium on Friday night.
Coniglio, handed the captaincy during the off-season after signing a seven-year contract extension, has been a lightning rod for criticism this season.
Cameron believes his fellow Giants foundation player Coniglio is being judged differently to teammates.
“I started s**thouse this year as well, so if I was captain people would have said the same things about me,” the reigning Coleman medallist said.
“Just because I’m not captain, I don’t cop it. That’s just how it works.
“We’re very proud of what he’s doing … you have three or four bad games and suddenly you’re not going well and it’s all because of the captaincy.
“We’re always behind Cogs. The way he plays his footy and the way he leads this club is amazing, he’s been terrific and he’s the right guy for the job.”
A report last week claimed Coniglio could be axed for the Giants’ round seven match; it was ultimately incorrect but GWS coach Leon Cameron admitted in response that the skipper was down on form.
Coniglio had nine clearances and 27 disposals (both game-high statistics) in Saturday’s loss.
“It’s a good step in the right direction but he knows he’s still got a way to go,” Leon Cameron said.
“I’m confident with the hard work and head down, bum up attitude that he’ll get there.”
Jeremy Cameron suggested his team would focus on fixing the woes exposed by the Lions, rather than last year’s gutting 89-point loss to the Tigers at the MCG.
“We’ve only got a six-day break, so it’s going to be a pretty quick week. Which is good,” Cameron said.
“When you lose, I like quick weeks.”
The Giants are upbeat star forward Toby Greene will be cleared to return from a shin injury this week.
“He’s an important player for us, one of the best players in the comp, so clearly you’d rather have him out there,” Jeremy Cameron said.
“But when he’s not out there, we’ve got other guys who can play roles.”