GREATER Western Sydney star Stephen Coniglio has dismissed his club's poor finish to the home-and-away season, declaring the side ready to regain its lost momentum against the Swans in its elimination final on Saturday week.
After winning nine of its previous 10 games, Leon Cameron's team was third on the ladder heading into round 22, but suffered worrying defeats at the hands of Sydney at Spotless Stadium, and Melbourne at the MCG, to drop to seventh.
The Giants will meet the Swans again next week, this time at the SCG.
Coniglio said on Wednesday that despite the criticism of the way the team performed in the past two games, he was certain the Giants can regain the form they showed over the previous three months.
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"The last two weeks were really disappointing from the team's perspective, because the last three months we've been so good and brought that intensity most weeks," he said.
"But for us, that season has finished and we're about to embark on another finals campaign.
"We'll quickly get some confidence back over the next week and make sure we bring it in the first final."
The Swans defeated the Giants in both derby clashes this season, by 16 points in round three at the SCG and by 20 points in round 22, but they have struggled on their home deck, winning just five of their 11 games.
Coniglio said he hadn't read much into that record, or the fact that Sydney was far more experienced on the finals stage.
GWS went into their first ever final as underdogs against the Swans in 2016 but humbled the minor premiers at ANZ Stadium by 36 points to book themselves a preliminary final spot.
"We've never lost to them in a final, so we definitely can do it," Coniglio said with a laugh.
"The rivalry adds to it, and that game features in the top two or three wins, and special moments for this footy club.
"Being our first big final and against the Swans, it was a special day."
Coniglio was a surprise omission when the 40-man All Australian squad was released on Monday, despite his outstanding season as a goalkicking midfielder, with teammates Callan Ward and Lachie Whitfield the only Giants named.
But the West Australian said individual honours weren't high on his list of priorities.
"Maybe it's because I do the 'mask' goal celebration, they might have mistaken me for someone else," he joked.
"The lesson I was taught when I was young is that if you don't expect anything you can never get disappointed.
"My job in the team is to help us to a position where we can make a charge into finals, make sure I play well come finals time, and I'm more excited for next Saturday.
"I'm pumped for 'Whitters' and Cal that they got selected, obviously it would have been nice to make the squad but it's not the be all and end all."
