Josh Kelly at GWS training on September 4, 2025. Picture: Phil Hillyard

FOR SO long, Josh Kelly was the star attraction in the GWS midfield but despite the injuries that continue to hinder his progress, the veteran is adamant he can remind his AFL rivals what he’s still capable of.

Now a veteran of 17 finals, Kelly has been one of the Giants’ best performers across those encounters, averaging an impressive 25 possessions a game in September.

As he makes his way back from yet another frustrating setback for Saturday’s home elimination final against the Hawks, he’ll be part of a midfield now dominated by Tom Green and Finn Callaghan.  

And that raises the question of just where the 30-year-old feels he lies in the grand scheme of things at the Giants after being their chief midfield destroyer for so long.

“I’ve still got the motivation to be the best player I can be and impact games like I know I can,” Kelly told AFL.com.au.

“I’ve still got the hunger to play my best footy. Hopefully this is the time of the year I’m doing that.

“It’s a good question, though. We’ve got some star midfielders coming through like Finn and Tom. I’ve had moments in the midfield supporting those guys and moments in the on the wing supporting other young guys, like Ryan Angwin and Harvey Thomas, Jacob Wehr, who have had really strong seasons themselves.

“So sometimes that is my role and sometimes my role is to watch those guys (Callaghan and Green) turn games on their own and honestly, it’s been awesome to see Finn take that step this year.

“Tom has been doing it for a few years now, but watching him take that step up and become one of the best midfielders in the comp has been great to watch.”

Finn Callaghan at GWS training on September 4, 2025. Picture: Phil Hillyard

As his All-Australian blazer and two club champion awards prove, Kelly’s reputation doesn’t require any reinforcing. But much like Stephen Coniglio – his midfield partner for so long – the injuries have started to pile up and halt his momentum at crucial stages during the season.

It is timely for the Giants that both are now ready to go for the finals, adding critical depth and class to a midfield that has looked a tad thin at times this year.

Not to mention a healthy dose of of finals experience – an intangible that nonetheless can have a very real impact, as evidenced by Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jamie Elliott’s contributions in Collingwood’s qualifying final win over Adelaide on Thursday night.

“I’m hugely motivated and very hungry,” Kelly said.

“It’s been a little bit of an interrupted year, unfortunately, but in the back of my mind, finals has always been that carrot. To get the opportunity to get out there and play my best football and impact for the team is what I want to do.

“We’ve been working towards this being the game we target since I hurt the calf. The little patches of injuries have been frustrating to deal with. They halt the season, it takes a bit of momentum out of your season, so it’s definitely frustrating, but again, I’ve been able to be fit at this time of the year and play finals.”

Josh Kelly at GWS training on September 4, 2025. Picture: Phil Hillyard

For so long the narrative around an inaugural Giants premiership has centred around the fairytale of the core group of Kelly, Coniglio, Toby Greene, Lachie Whitfield and Callan Ward delivering the ultimate reward to the club they helped build.

But after eventful finals campaigns over the last two years, it is now the next generation of stars that are yearning for the ultimate success just as much.

It is that, fused with a form run of 10 wins across their final 11 games and the return of stars like Kelly, Jesse Hogan and Jake Stringer, that has the Giants believing that this may just be the year that the holy grail is achieved.

“I think we’re as well prepared as we can be. We feel like we play our best footy this time of the year. Ultimately, we haven’t won the premiership yet, so there’s still a few more steps for us to take, but we’re really hungry, really motivated,” said Kelly.

“That’s our older boys but it’s also our younger boys now. Aaron Cadman, Darcy Jones, Finn and others who have now had finals exposure, who have come close to winning it all or being a part of finals series, but haven’t had the success we want.

“It’s those guys who now have the same motivations and hunger and realise that a Grand Final isn’t easy to win.

“We feel like we’re in a good spot now. We’ve just got to go do it.”

If the Giants are to make that breakthrough this September, they’ll have to become just the third side since the final-eight format was established to win the flag from outside the top four.

One of those was Brisbane last year, a team that trailed the Giants by 44 points at Engie Stadium late in the third quarter before mounting the largest successful semi-final comeback in AFL history.

“It’s a new season, everything resets. But there’s no doubt we’ve taken a lot of learnings from last year, years before that as well, but particularly last year in the positions we were in,” Kelly said.

“That’s been ultimately something we’ve turned into a positive and there’s no better time now to see if we’ve learned from those lessons, and I’m confident we have.”

That first test of the Hawks in a do-or-die affair far from insignificant.

Sam Mitchell’s side may be full of youthful exuberance but they acquired some finals experience of their own last year, and as was expected in one of the highest quality final-eight compositions ever, pose a formidable opponent.

“They’re a really strong team. They’ve got good players all over the park. They play a really good brand of football and a really strong defensive system as well. On the flip side of that, we’ll see how we can try and throw our best back at them,” Kelly said.