September 17, 2023

AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Legend Ron Barassi dies; ‘Feels like we are back home at the MCG’: Greene says Giants ready to take on Collingwood in preliminary final

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yesterday 11.27pm

That’s all for tonight

The Giants are into the preliminary final and the Power are out in straight sets after their semi-final clash at Adelaide Oval tonight.

The Giants will face Collingwood at the MCG and Brisbane will host Carlton at the Gabba to decide who will play in the grand final.

Thanks so much for joining us tonight and please stay with our sites for all your AFL news throughout the week.

Bye for now.

yesterday 11.21pm

‘We stopped playing with any dare’; Kingsley says Giants will look into last term despite win

Giants coach Adam Kingsley spoke to the media post game.

Your thoughts on the win?

We played pretty well tonight. That run and carry game that we try and implement looked really good at times. Equally as much, our pressure and our forward defence was really strong. They challenged us last time we played them and we didn’t have that same mindset. For that particular game, for whatever reason. So, it was an important adjustment we were able to make and it certainly helped us.

Adam Kingsley has the Giants firing.Credit: AFL Photos

Ever seen your group so dominant numbers, particularly clearances, and to hold the ball whether it is contested and uncontested?

I can’t remember one so it’s a nice time to get those numbers. Certainly, our clearance games +18 first position +16 clearances, nine goals to three, that is not normally how we score or what we rely on to win games. The last two weeks we have been able to store from stoppages which is really nice. We are not solely relying on our turnover game, we are adding the stoppage game, which makes us even more of a threat.

Did you feel on edge because the door seemed open for Port to rush through?

Definitely, we knew they were going to fight. I reckon they maybe had moments of four or five times where they came at us and scored and threatened to score again. During those moments you feel under pressure anything gee, if they get one maybe the game swings a bit. Fortunately, we were able to absorb their attack and then go back at them and ultimately score at some point. It kind of stopped the momentum for us, which is really important. You have to score to be able to stop the momentum and we were able to do that in numbers.

Were you just absorbing that stuff at the start of the last quarter, were you happy to hang there?

No, we kind of went into ourselves a little bit, we stopped playing with any dare and any run we felt like we were playing within the first three quarters. We will address that and in terms of if it was Port Adelaide’s defence? Was it us stopping ourselves in terms of mentally getting a little bit pressured and wanting to hold on to the game a bit. We will address that.

yesterday 11.14pm

‘95,000? 100,000?’: Kelly can’t predict crowd but knows Giants will stand tall

Giants midfielder Josh Kelly can’t predict how many fans will be at the MCG for his club’s preliminary final against Collingwood next weekend.

But he still backs his side to play the game their way and stand up to the favoured Magpies.

“95,000? 100,000? I don’t know much many will be there but this group loves challenges,” Kelly told Fox Footy.

Toby Greene of the Giants celebrates a goal with Josh Kelly of the Giants.Credit: Getty Images

“We enjoy playing on the road. There are moments, this week and last week, where the crowd gets involved but we just have to stick with the way we play as we have a lot of belief in that.

“But it will be another step up next week.”

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yesterday 11.11pm

Preliminary finals times confirmed

The AFL has locked in the days, dates for next weekend’s preliminary finals.

Friday, 22 SeptemberFirst Preliminary Final, Collingwood vs the GWS GIANTS, MCG, 7:50pm AEST

Saturday, 23 SeptemberSecond Preliminary Final, Brisbane Lions vs Carlton, Gabba, 5:15pm AEST

yesterday 11.06pm

Sheezel wins North Melbourne best and fairest

First-year midfielder Harry Sheezel has won the Syd Barker Medal as North Melbourne’s best and fairest player.

Quite an achievement for someone just starting out in the AFL.

yesterday 10.56pm

Hogan hails travelling Giants

Giants forward Jesse Hogan kicked four goals tonight and he admits he and his teammates are loving their hot run through the finals.

“I think no other team travels as much as we do each week,” Hogan told Fox Footy.

“We are so used to the travel and we just love it. It’s been a fun run so far.”

Jesse Hogan.Credit: AFL Photos

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yesterday 10.43pm

Watch: There’s a big, big sound rings out

yesterday 10.31pm

FT stats

yesterday 10.28pm

‘The most amount of trust you can get’: Greene

Giants captain Toby Greene spoke to Channel Seven post game.

You are off to another preliminary final?

We were full of confidence, we knew if we played close to our best we were going to be hard to beat. They are a good side and made us work. They came hard in the third. We had full confidence that if we played our brand we would be tough to beat.

Jesse Hogan and Toby Greene of the Giants celebrate a goal.Credit: AFL Photos

It has been a pretty amazing 13 weeks, 11 games. You must have so much trust in your group?

The most amount of trust you can get. A special group. From the youngest to the oldest, so much faith that we play a role. If you have the will, you can do well.

You had a lot of time here at GWS, how good is this group the way you have gelled and we have seen so far?

We’ve always been a super close club. We travel a lot, the last two weeks has been so much fun. Feels like we’re back home at the MCG next week. That was the plan. We are pumped. Travelling and getting wins like this, that is what football is about.

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yesterday 10.23pm

FT: GWS Giants 13.15 (93) d Port Adelaide 9.16 (70)

The GWS Giants have continued their run through the AFL finals taking down Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in tonight’s semi-final.

The Giants will face Collingwood at the MCG for a place in the grand final and after so many big wins in the second half of this season, the Giants will have all the belief in the world that they can take the game to the Magpies.

Toby Greene of the Giants celebrates a goal with Josh Kelly of the Giants.Credit: Getty Images

Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield were brilliant. This could have been Coniglio’s best game as a Giant.

The Power will be shattered after another straight-sets defeat but in so many moments tonight, the Giants were better at winning the football or the contest. That is either an effort issue or a structural one.

For all their wins, there are still some massive questions for them to answer this off-season.

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