STEPHEN Coniglio's playing future remains uncertain beyond 2019, and while Greater Western Sydney, his teammates and Giants fans are hanging on his decision, the star midfielder seems unlikely to make it anytime soon. 

Coniglio's current deal with the Giants expires at the end of the season and he's being hunted intently by opposition clubs, but after a best-afield performance in his club's 72-point win over Essendon on Sunday, he's clearly unfazed by any kind of speculation about his status. 

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The original Giant and fellow vice-captain Josh Kelly are both due for new deals at the end of the year and Coniglio might follow Kelly's path in choosing to play out most of the season before either settling on a new contract with GWS or choosing to ply his trade elsewhere. 

Kelly faced fierce media attention in 2016 over his future and went on to win the best and fairest award, while also being named in the Virgin Australia AFL All Australian team for the first time. 

There's little doubt the Giants would welcome the pair of signatures tomorrow if they were offered – and they remain supremely confident that will happen eventually - but they're also prepared to be patient, a method that has proved highly successful in the past.

Coniglio said after the win over Essendon that he's not worried about anything other than helping the Giants win games, and 31 possessions, seven clearances and three goals against the Bombers showed his way is working well so far.

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"To be honest, my whole focus has been about playing footy, so in terms of when I make the call, I don't have an answer for you just yet," he said after the match. 

"I've just primed myself for another big season (because) we've fallen short for the past couple of years. 

"For me, to get better individually and collectively as a team has been my stance on the whole thing. 

"When the time is right I'm sure I'll make the call and make the right call.

"I know Josh went through it a couple of years ago, so for me it's just about preparing to play well. 

"I'm at that stage in my career when I really need to cash in on (having) two pre-seasons in a row, I had a strong season last year, and Josh is the same, we're in that sort of sweet spot of our careers.

"For me it's all about preparing for games and if there's media and scrutiny that comes with it all, I've just got to keep playing footy and playing well." 

GWS coach Leon Cameron has been left to field the constant questions about his vice-captains, with Coniglio and Kelly largely shielded from the media over summer, and he reiterated his beliefs on Sunday about the Giants' chances of keeping both players. 

"Things are pretty good, well not pretty good, they're really good actually," he said.

"Stephen and Josh are in a really good space and there's always two parts to a negotiation.

"Does Stephen's price go up when he plays like that?

"Some may say yes, some may say no, but it's irrelevant because he couldn't be more committed to our footy club.

"I'm confident it'll get done, he loves the club, it'll take his time and play out how it plays out, and that’s the same with Josh. 

"All the dialogue (we're having) with key stakeholders at our footy club is positive and we're rapt to have him at the Giants." 

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Coniglio was stunningly left out of last year's All Australian squad despite an outstanding year in the midfield where he averaged 28 possessions per game and also booted 24 goals. 

Cameron said the onballer's brilliant opening-round numbers showed how determined he is to help the Giants achieve success in 2019, especially with Kelly and co-captain Callan Ward missing against the Bombers, and the exit of Dylan Shiel and Tom Scully during last year's NAB AFL Trade Period.

"His pre-season has been first class and faultless and he wants to take his game to another level," he said. 

"There's good players, there's very good players and there's exceptional players, and he wants to become an exceptional player because he's a very good player now, which is great because he's 25 now and in his peak.

"He's driven, he's our vice-captain and he's really popular at our footy club.

"I know that every time he runs out on the weekend he gives everything for the jumper."