GWS and Richmond will battle it out for the unofficial “Kingsley Cup” when they lock horns at Giants Stadium.
Adam Kingsley spent four years as an assistant at Richmond and helped the club win two flags before being appointed Giants coach at the end of last season.
His intimate knowledge of Richmond’s players could prove to be a crucial advantage in Sunday’s match.
GWS defender Lachie Whitfield reckons the match holds extra significance for Kingsley, with the first-year coach even jokingly dubbing it the “Kingsley Cup”.
“He’s keeping it relatively low-key,” Whitfield said.
“But you can tell there’s a little bit of extra passion in his voice when he’s been addressing the lads.
“He did mention it as the Kingsley Cup earlier in the week, so hopefully we can lift that after the game.”
The match will also mark Tim Taranto’s first match against the Giants since joining Richmond at the end of last year.
Taranto booted four goals from 33 disposals in Richmond’s 10-point loss to Port Adelaide last week, and he looms as a key figure against his former side.
“Tim was a big part of our culture up here in Sydney. Everyone loved him,” Whitfield said.
“He was one of the most favoured guys here. Seeing him depart was pretty sad.
“He’s doing really good things at Richmond – he’s probably been one of their best players.
“I know the (Giants) boys will probably be getting into him pre-game and during the game, and then we’ll share a beer with him after the game.”
Richmond caretaker coach Andrew McQualter is looking forward to going head-to-head against his good friend Kingsley.
“I love Kingers. I look up to him a lot,” McQualter said.
“He’s been great for me personally, and was great for our footy club.
“I still speak to him a lot. I haven’t spoken to him this week. I look forward to the challenge.”
Damien Hardwick’s shock decision to stand down as Richmond coach last week has raised doubts about whether star veteran Dustin Martin will stay at the Tigers.
Martin is contracted until the end of 2024, but there’s speculation he could play elsewhere next season.
McQualter dismissed the chatter.
“I think it’s almost been three years in a row where about the same time of the year the chat about Dustin comes up,” he said.
“Dustin’s in a terrific spot at the moment. He’s as invested as you could ever imagine at our footy club.
“He’s happy, he’s having a great time playing footy.”
The Giants, who upset Geelong last week, have been bolstered by the return of Harry Himmelberg from concussion.
