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Adam Kingsley confirms Brent Daniels and Jack Buckley won’t play in the elimination final

Brent Daniels speaks with Giants staff at training on September 2, 2025. Picture: Phil Hillyard

GREATER Western Sydney’s hopes of naming five gun inclusions for its elimination final against Hawthorn on Saturday are over with both Brent Daniels and Jack Buckley ruled out with calf problems.

The key duo didn’t train at all at Thursday’s main session at Engie Stadium after failing to recover from what the Giants felt were only minor calf issues. Both are viewed as a reasonable chance to play next week should the Giants progress to a semi-final.

That does help alleviate a selection quandary for coach Adam Kingsley considering three stars in Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer and Josh Kelly are all set to return, assuming they pull up fine from Thursday morning’s hitout.

“Both of them (Daniels and Buckley) are reasonable, I wouldn’t mind the headache of having to pick them. But maybe it lessens the decision making because we’ve been really happy with the way our team has been performing. We think the guys who have come in and replaced those players have done a really good job,” Kingsley said.

Hogan did leave the track early on Thursday but that was always the plan, according to the coach.

“He did enough of what he needed to do today. I presume he’s OK. Maybe Toby (Greene) is a better one to ask, he’s said he’s good to go. I hope he’s right,” Kingsley said.

Jesse Hogan at Giants training on September 4, 2025. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Max Gruzewski and Jacob Wehr are almost certain to go out of the team that beat St Kilda in the final round of the season with Harry Rowston a possible unlucky omission as well after strong finish to the home and away campaign.

The Giants concede slotting Kelly back into a midfield that has finished the season strongly with the likes of Xavier O’Halloran, Ryan Angwin and Harvey Thomas all impressing, will be tricky.

“This is the difficulty because we have been really happy with how our midfield has been performing. We’re comfortable he can come in and perform at a high level so if that’s the case we have a decision to make and will discuss that as a match committee,” Kingsley said.

Kingsley also admitted star defender Connor Idun is likely to play smaller on one of Jack Ginnivan or Nick Watson, such is the threat that they possess in attack for the Hawks.

“We’ve tasked him with those sorts of players in the past and he’s done a really good job. He’s had an outstanding season but it’s another big challenge. We’ll trust him with that. We’re really confident that job gets done whoever he goes to,” Kingsley said.

The Giants belief for their September campaign is understandably high, having won 10 of their final 11 games of the season, with a big reason for that being the performances of Toby Greene.

The Giants captain has been back to his All-Australian captain form of 2023 across that period, averaging close to 2.5 goals a game.

“The way he’s driving his teammates is at a really high level. There’s an edge about him right now that I like. Hopefully that transfers over to this weekend’s game,” Kingsley said.

Toby Greene runs laps during a Greater Western Sydney training session on September 2, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

Their form line aside, the Giants are also finals hardened.

There is a core that remains from their run to the 2019 Grand Final, while they lost a preliminary final by one point in 2023 and led eventual premier Brisbane by seven goals late in the third quarter in a semi-final last year.

That experience still burns away at the playing group and with Saturday afternoon’s affair to be their only home final in September, the coach says they owe their home crowd at a packed Engie Stadium a victory to make up for it.

“I would suggest we do. Given that we’ll be on the road if we’re good enough to win it. It’s not going to right our wrongs of the past given this is a new year but it’d be great to give our fans something to cheer about,” Kingsley said