GWS Giants Coach Adam Kingsley Reveals Truth Behind Explosive Half-Time Spray
Adam Kingsley has finally revealed the truth behind the explosive spray he delivered to his players during the GWS Giants' clash against the Sydney Swans last year, while confessing he wasn't particularly comfortable that the footage was broadcast to the public. The Giants had delivered a disappointing performance in the first half of their Round 20 encounter against their fierce rivals, heading into the changing rooms at the main break trailing by a significant 28 points.
The Viral Moment That Captured AFL Attention
Kingsley sat his team down to review some footage in the changing rooms when Channel 7's cameras captured the moment he went nuclear. During the expletive-laden rant, the AFL coach claimed that his team were 'weak as p***' and demanded higher standards from individuals among the group, including Giants skipper Toby Greene. Producers were forced to bleep out 24 swear words during the three-minute clip, which has since gone viral across social media platforms.
The video was published on 7AFL's X account earlier this week as part of a promotion for the network's new AFL documentary No Holds Barred. Kingsley had appeared to be showing his team a segment of footage from the first half when he paused to address his players directly.
The Explosive Exchange That Ignited a Comeback
'How long have we been going behind the stoppage... behind the contest?' Kingsley demanded of his players. 'Most of the year,' one player replied cautiously. The coach responded with explosive frustration: 'Most of the year?? F***ing three years! Three years! We want to play on talent. Guess what they play on. F****** hardness and work rate. Every single f***ing time! Same game. They're harder, they're tougher, we're weak as p***. We don't follow system.'
He added with mounting intensity: 'How many f***ing times can we get beaten the same way?' Kingsley went on to single out individual players, one of whom was skipper Greene. 'You don't change your position, you don't get to contests and you're undisciplined. What are you going to do about it?' the coach challenged the captain directly.
Targeting Specific Players and Performance Metrics
The coach also took aim at Stephen Coniglio with specific performance criticism. 'How many high-speed metres has this bloke [Coniglio] got? Twenty-three high-speed f***ing metres for the game! Start f***ing running!' Kingsley, who won a premiership with Port Adelaide as a player, then challenged his entire squad to work harder and outplay their opponents in the second half.
Remarkably, the hairdryer treatment paid immediate dividends. A fired up GWS side emerged from the sheds and kicked nine goals to the Swans' one in the third quarter alone, before going on to win the match decisively 102(15.12) to 58(8.10). The dramatic turnaround transformed what had been a disappointing performance into a memorable victory.
Behind the Scenes: Captain's Encouragement and Calculated Approach
The footy boss has since lifted the lid on what was happening behind the scenes, revealing that his captain, Greene, had actually urged him to go hard on the playing cohort to properly motivate the team. '[I was] not all that comfortable, to be fair,' Kingsley admitted to SEN radio when reflecting on the footage becoming public. 'It was one of those moments ... probably the only time I've kind of lost it or been as animated as that at any time.'
'In the lead up, it was a really important game for us, clearly, and Toby was pretty desperate for that sort of address to his teammates and himself... there was a bit of encouragement behind it which isn't seen in the documentary. Fortunately, it worked out OK. Yeah... we'll see.' He added that the fiery team talk was not one he planned to use regularly, describing his approach as calculated and deliberate.
Player Reactions to the Blistering Address
After the match, Greene was approached by Fox Footy broadcasters and asked whether it was one of the biggest sprays he's ever witnessed. 'Yeah, it was a good one. It was a good one,' the GWS skipper laughed in response. 'We were real ordinary in the first half. Our contest, work rate — which we felt the Swans beat us the last five times just based on that — so it was super disappointing what we dished up in the first half.'
'We were right up for this game. And then 'Kingers' (at half-time) obviously acknowledged it, and it was mostly on myself and the leaders.' Finn Callaghan added that the playing group had deserved the team talk entirely. '(It was) probably the biggest he's ever given us, I reckon. The biggest I've received in my short AFL career,' he told Fox Footy. 'Look, we deserved it. Played nowhere near to our level in the first half, the Swans smashed us around the footy and their work rate was a level better than ours. So Kingers certainly gave it to us.'
Kingsley emphasized that his coaching approach is always deliberate and calculated. 'You need to be who you think your players need you to be at any specific moment and that's how I treat it,' he explained. 'It's very calculated. It's very deliberate. There were reasons behind it, obviously, with the issues we were having, but you're deliberate with who you speak to, what you're saying, it's always like that when you're a coach.'
