AFL Giants trying to stay grounded

The television cameras lying in wait at Sydney Airport on Monday were a telltale sign of Greater Western Sydney’s rise to AFL prominence.

But the Giants are determined to stay level headed as the hype around them grows.

Sunday’s 19-point away win over Port Adelaide pushed the Giants up to second, albeit only on percentage above five other clubs on 48 points.

Only once before at a far less important time of the season back after round four of 2015, have the Giants held down such a high position.

A top-four spot and perhaps even a top two position is a realistic aspiration for the fifth-season club, who have never finished a year above the 11th place they managed in 2015.

Midfielder Stephen Coniglio pointed to the shock home loss to Collingwood earlier this month as a warning the Giants can’t get carried away with their lofty status.

That defeat dropped the Giants from third to seventh.

Wins in Brisbane and Adelaide have bumped them back up the ladder and increased the interest in the western Sydney club.

“It’s the first time I’ve had cameras at the airport in my time, so anytime you’re winning it’s good,” said Coniglio, who has been with the club since it entered the competition.

“It’s just important for us that we keep a level head.

“In that Collingwood game, maybe we got ahead of ourselves, maybe we didn’t.

“But we just have to make sure we don’t have any slip ups like that again.”

After Richmond, GWS plays at the Gold Coast, hosts the two west Australian clubs in Sydney in successive weeks and finishes off against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

Coniglio maintained his career-best form of this year by matching his season average of 28 disposals in the win over Port.

“I think it’s just the team performing better and with that comes your own personal performance,” he said.

“I think a number of our guys are having career best years.

“For me personally it’s just stemming from that, quality people around me and helping me get the ball.”

The only possible negative for Coniglio about his weekend in Adelaide was it kept him away from the 21st birthday party of his younger brother Jacob in Perth.

However, media savvy Coniglio used the cameras to give a shout out to his sibling, who actually turned 21 on Monday.

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