Happy as Harry Himmelberg to take on more GWS leadership duties

The Giants will begin their premiership quest without Greene, who still has to serve a five-match ban after he made intentional contact with an umpire during the finals series last year.

The timeline sets the stage for Greene to make a blockbuster comeback in the capital on April 22 when the Giants host St Kilda at Manuka Oval.

But Himmelberg says the Giants can't afford to wait until he is back to make an impact in the 2022 season, vowing to take on extra leadership duties in Greene's absence.

"As you get a little bit into your career, you start to worry less about your own sort of game in a sense," Himmelberg said.

"Being one of the more senior plays in the forward line now, it's more so how can I help these younger guys to really sort of step up and start playing in a consistent role.

"Toby's been at the footy club for about 10 years now and he's really taken on a leadership role, he's the skipper of the footy club. So if I can help him out and give him a chop out in the forward line, that's going to help us.

"We'll obviously miss him for the first couple rounds, but we've been working well as a forward line in the preseason games without him so far. So he might have to earn his spot back in the forward line at this stage."

MORE IN CANBERRA SPORT:

Greene took home four of the club's top awards last season, and led the side into the finals.

Greene, a magnet for controversy, had to shoulder a lot of the Giants' leadership duties last year with regular skipper Stephen Cognilio struggling to overcome injuries.

Cognilio has played just 23 of a possible 41 games in the past two years after battling toe and ankle injuries, prompting coach Leon Cameron to add Greene and Josh Kelly to a leadership trio.

The Giants managed to make it to week two of the finals last year before losing to Geelong, but this year they are targeting a top-four finish to the regular season and premiership tilt.

Cognilio, Greene and Kelly are the co-captains, but Himmelberg wants to play his role and pointed to the guidance he got from former teammate Jeremy Cameron as the role he now wants to play.

"Our two pre-season games that we've played so far, we've really put into practice some of the stuff that we've done over the pre-season," Himmelberg said.

"I think we're looking pretty good, we've got a fit list, we've got young players that are really ready to step up and take on big roles for 2022.

"We got the younger part of our list, the first four-year sort of bracket, that have had really big pre-seasons and they've all come back really fit.

"We've got some guys that are really pushing the older guys for spots now, so I think that's the main part ... when you have guys that are all hungry and ready to step up, and are strong."

The Friday night clash against St Kilda will be the first of four games in the capital this year, with the Giants also playing Geelong, Brisbane and Fremantle in an increase of the regular three fixtures at Manuka Oval.

The Giants have also added Josh Fahey to their squad after taking the Queanbeyan junior with pick No. 42 in the draft last year.