AFL: GWS Giants' interim coach Mark McVeigh ready for whatever comes next with head coach decision imminent

Following the Giants' 20-point loss to the Fremantle Dockers in Canberra in their final regular season game, McVeigh reflected on the 13 weeks he's been at the helm and what could lie ahead.

"I've loved it. It's been amazing, it's been incredible. I've had great support from players and staff and really enjoyed it," the coach said.

"You have some difficult moments, which I've enjoyed trying to work through. I've enjoyed the Monday to Friday grind and couldn't have enjoyed more, to be honest."

McVeigh is vying for the job long-term after the former assistant was thrown into the deep end with Leon Cameron's mid-season exit.

Melbourne assistant coach Adem Yze and Richmond assistant Adam Kingsley are his top two rivals for the role, but even if he is unsuccessful, McVeigh said he will back the club's direction.

"The process is there and they'll keep working through it. The club is doing everything they can to identify the next senior coach and I fully support that," he said.

"The candidates that remain are incredible candidates. They are wonderful coaches that have been in really successful environments and whoever is successful is going to do an amazing job."

When questioned what he'd learned most from his time leading the Giants - winning four of 13 games since taking over - McVeigh said he was able to better understand what made his players tick.

The Sydney-born, former Essendon Bomber also experienced the best and worst of the scrutiny coaches face, but was accepting that it all came with the territory.

"You've really got to make sure that you get players in the right frame of mind to compete," he said.

"It's a high-pressure job. It's one that's sometimes hard to explain, but you're judged on your wins and losses, no matter who you've got available. But again, I've enjoyed that part of it.

"I've been supported extremely well from my players and the staff, and so I feel like most weeks whether it was a bad week or a good week, I had fantastic support around me."

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Many Giants have expressed their appreciation for McVeigh's coaching style and care for his players and it's that which he said was integral in getting them to buy into the importance of building momentum for next season.

In a game where the Giants came close to upsetting Fremantle on Saturday, there were certainly positive flashes at Manuka Oval.

"They were playing for the club [not me]," McVeigh said.

"My theme for the whole 13 weeks has been playing for something greater than yourself. We could have rolled over and we haven't and I'm really proud of the fact our coaching team have been able to direct and help them stay in games and not let the season just roll over."

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