AFL veteran Stephen Coniglio details ongoing mystery health issue
GWS veteran Stephen Coniglio has revealed a nerve issue has been the cause of his indefinite stint on the sidelines.
A glute issue originally thought to put Coniglio out for just one week has kept the star onballer missing from action since Round 3.
It is a frustrating setback for the 31-year-old, who had been rediscovering his form after facial surgery and a shoulder reconstruction in the off-season.
'It was our West Coast game (in Round 4) and I just woke up like any other morning, just preparing to come to captain's run, and I just couldn't walk,' Coniglio said on Monday.
'I felt this pain shooting down my leg ... I just pulled out of that game, disappointing, just thinking a couple of days it'll settle.
'As it's gone on, it's moved from my glute down my hamstring.
'It's been a bit of trial and error, but it's a nerve issue that's bothering me.
'I tried a couple of injections that, again, hadn't seemed to work initially. We're trying a few other things at the moment.'
Coniglio's return has been pushed back to their Round 14 fixture against Brisbane, but he admits the timeline isn't certain.
The time away from the game has at least given Coniglio more confidence in his shoulder and face, the inaugural Giant insisting he still has more to give.
'I'm over 30 now, so everyone's pointing to maybe it could be that, but I'm feeling 24, 25 again after having not played a lot for the last year,' he said.
'Last year, dealing with the two operations gave me some really good mental perspective on how lucky I am and how grateful I am to play this game.
'I'm very confident in my own ability and that I'll be back playing my best very soon. I love the game so much.'
Coniglio is joined on the sidelines by Finn Callaghan (shoulder), Brent Daniels (abdominal) and Josh Kelly (hip).
But their thin midfield stocks haven't got in the way of the Giants' flag campaign, with coach Adam Kingsley's men returning to the winners' circle with a 28-point win over Carlton.
It was milestone man Toby Greene, in his 250th game, who led the way in the midfield to help the Giants make amends for a lacklustre loss to Fremantle the previous week.
GWS return home to host Richmond at Engie Stadium in the club's Cultural Heritage Series fixture, a cultural festival in celebration of the diverse cultures of Western Sydney.
'There's no better place than here in Western Sydney to showcase that,' Coniglio said.
'Yes, we're trying to win games of football, but we're also trying to build the club.
'(We're) not just trying to get players from a multicultural background, but engage with fans from a multicultural background.'
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