GREATER Western Sydney is hopeful ruckman Shane Mumford will be available to face Richmond this weekend, when a win could effectively secure the club a maiden finals appearance.
Mumford suffered a knee injury late in the Giants' 19-point away win over Port Adelaide on Sunday.
The Giants crashed out of finals contention last year after Mumford missed the second half of the season, but players and officials weren't expecting bad news from the big man's scans.
Officials said Mumford was walking fine on Monday morning and he didn't appear in obvious discomfort when the team arrived at Sydney Airport.
"I think he'll be fine," Giants' midfielder Stephen Coniglio said.
"He'll get assessed over the next 24 hours but he seems to be alright.
"I was at breakfast with him this morning watching his (future) sister-in-law (Johanna Konta) win her first WTA tournament in California, so his spirits are high at the moment."
Sunday's win lifted the Giants to second on percentage and gave them a club record 12th win in a season.
"To win tough like the way we did gives you a little bit extra belief I think," Coniglio said.
"Yesterday was a good reflection of where the group is at in terms of taking our next step in maturity to winning games like that."
He said it was imperative the Giants maintain their momentum by beating the Tigers in Canberra on Saturday.
Only percentage separates GWS from the seventh-placed Western Bulldogs.
"I know Richmond copped a heavy loss yesterday, but we haven't beaten them before and to get a win in Canberra is very important for us," Coniglio said.
A win would lift them to 52 points, a tally which has usually guaranteed a finals spot.
GWS is three games and a healthy percentage ahead of ninth-placed St Kilda, whose slim finals hopes could be virtually extinguished if it loses to North Melbourne on Saturday.
"What's going to get you in the finals - is it 12 wins, is it 13 wins?" Coniglio said.
"Hopefully (we) make it 13 this week and then go from there."
The Giants could potentially be bolstered by some quality inclusions against the Tigers.
Midfielder Lachie Whitfield and defender Matt Buntine got through a NEAFL game last weekend and veteran Ryan Griffen could be available after missing three rounds with a hamstring issue.
Key defender Caleb Marchbank will miss the remainder of the season after requiring a shoulder reconstruction for an injury he suffered in a NEAFL game.
