When the Last Post rings out across Manuka Oval on Saturday, Greater Western Sydney midfielder Stephen Coniglio's mind will drift back to the Anzac Day he spent at Gallipoli four years ago.
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Coniglio will get his first taste of Anzac Day football when the Giants take on Gold Coast on the centenary commemoration of the landing at Gallipoli.
The perfectly manicured grass of Manuka will be a far cry from the desolate beaches and cliffs where thousands of Australian, New Zealand and Turkish troops lost their lives 100 years ago.
But as the bugle plays, Coniglio will recall the freezing cold night he spent waiting for the dawn service on the other side of the world. The 21-year-old was one of four Giants who were there with the AFL AIS academy squad that ended a tour of Europe with a visit to Turkey.
Devon Smith, Adam Tomlinson and Matt Buntine were also there, while other emerging young guns from around the AFL such as Essendon's Joe Daniher, Gold Coast's Jaeger O'Meara and Giant-turned-Hawk Jono O'Rourke were also there.
They visited the AIS' training facilities in Milan, played a game in London and then made their way to Turkey, where he gained an insight into how the Anzac spirit was born. It was the stories of hardship, bravery and comradeship that stuck with the then teenager as he learnt what the Diggers went through in 1915.
Having Giants teammates to share the experience with has brought the memories flooding back this week.
"I remember how cold it was and being rugged up and just thinking how the soldiers would've coped with the conditions and fighting for their lives," Coniglio said.
"It was a great experience. You get a bit of an eerie feeling about the place and trying to picture some of the stories being told and you're actually in the spot where a lot of it happened. It was a pretty humbling experience and one you look at, very proud that some people did that for our country."
Coniglio is unsure what to expect when the ball is bounced under the lights of Manuka. There are several Giants who have played on the sombre day before, including former Collingwood defender Heath Shaw.
Shaw played in six Anzac Day clashes against Essendon in front of massive crowds at the MCG and was best on ground in the 2007 match, earning himself the Anzac Medal – a historical point the cheeky former Magpie has made sure his young teammates are well schooled on.
He has spoken of the silence that accompanies the pre-game ceremonies, when the Ode is read and the Last Post played.
It's a moment Coniglio is looking forward to and a moment that will take him back to the beaches of Gallipoli.
"We don't know what to expect with the pre-game stuff, but that's part of the experience and part of the excitement," he said.
"It's a massive game for us and a big round for the AFL and the people of Australia. With the Last Post being such a symbolic part of the pre-match ceremony for the AFL, it's going to be a great experience."
The Giants have made one change to their side, omitting ruckman Andrew Phillips for forward James Stewart.
AT A GLANCE
Saturday: GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns at Manuka Oval, 5.40pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.
