IT HAS got a finals spot all but locked away and Greater Western Sydney could welcome back two key players this week as it prepares for an assault on September, but concerns remain over Jesse Hogan’s fitness.

Gun defender Jack Buckley will almost certainly return from a calf injury to take on St Kilda at Engie Stadium on Sunday and will likely take the place of a man tipped to be a Saint from next season in Leek Aleer.

And GWS may also be boosted by the long-awaited return of dynamic forward/midfielder Brent Daniels from an adductor injury.

The 26-year-old, who led the AFL for goal assists last year, has played only six games this season as he battled numerous setbacks, but is in line for a return this week.

The Giants are understood to be weighing up a return for Daniels through the VFL or bringing him straight back into the senior team, provided he gets through training this week.

Josh Kelly and Jake Stringer won’t be ready to play until the finals though and Hogan may be sidelined until then as well.

The Giants will assess the pain around the Coleman medallist’s foot this week but considering his constant issues in the second half of the season they seem more likely to rest him in the hope he can perform in the first week of the finals.

One player who has provided coach Adam Kingsley with a selection headache when more of the Giants stars return is youngster Harry Rowston.

The tough midfielder kicked four goals in a match-winning performance against Gold Coast on Saturday to land this week’s Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination.

Having managed just the one major in his 15 games previously, achieving a haul like that is not something he felt he was capable of.

Rowston rises to the moment with career day out

Harry Rowston slots four terrific majors to set up an important win for GWS

“It’s a long time ago now, maybe school footy. It was great to get a few on the board, maybe a few lucky ones though,” Rowston said.

“It was definitely all falling my way especially when Max (Gruzewski) had a shot and shanked it and it fell in my lap. I was lucky to get on the end of a few.”

While the former first-round pick made headlines as a goalkicker this week, it’s in his regular role as a hard-nosed midfielder that helped him break into the GWS side this season.

As the Giants’ form lagged in the middle of the year and the need became more immediate for a fresh body to be added to the midfield to assist Tom Green and Finn Callaghan, Rowston seized his chance.

“I’ve got a lot of self-confidence. I put a lot of hard work in over the pre-season, so I felt when the opportunity came I was ready to take it. I was playing really well but obviously we had Stephen Coniglio coming back, an absolute freak, so I got my opportunity up forward,” he said.

With the likes of Kelly, Daniels, Stringer and Hogan to return – Rowston is mindful that a spot in the final 23 come September may be hard to come by.

“It is a little bit frustrating. But it’s a great spot to be in. This is the third year in a row now that we’re in finals, we’re winning games and contending,” he said.

“All I can do is keep taking my opportunities. We’re going to be playing finals and contending for a premiership so it’s a great problem to have. I might not be playing every week but the team’s going really well and if we’re winning games I’ll be happy.”