AFL finals 2023 LIVE updates: Daicos returns as Greene drives Giants to slim lead over Magpies

Giants midfielder Tom Green has pushed forward and taken an important mark before kicking the goal.

The Giants have the lead and suddenly the roar of the MCG has become more like a buzzing chatter.

Giants 16, Pies 15 with 12 mins to go in Q2.

Darcy Cameron of the Magpies and Kieren Briggs of the Giants.Credit: AFL Photos

Toby Greene took a quick handball from Jesse Hogan and booted his side’s first goal with a kick from the 50m arc.

Brilliant call from Greene, the Giants skipper.

Pies 15, Giants 10 with 15 mins to go in Q2.

Toby Greene of the Giants is tackled high by Isaac Quaynor of the Magpies.Credit: AFL Photos

The week off has not been a detriment at all for the Magpies, who made a red-hot start to the game.

Their pressure has been through the roof, denying the Giants any time to think when they had the ball.

Sam Taylor of the Giants handballs under pressure.Credit: Getty Images

They had two goals on the board within nine minutes, to Daniel McStay and Jack Crisp, but the Giants hung on grimly and did not concede thereafter.

In a big win for the Pies, McStay has been too good for gun defender Sam Taylor, who stumbled at the wrong time to allow his opponent a free run for a mark and goal.

The Giants’ ball movement has not been as pure as the previous fortnight but they have crafted decent chances, which they have wasted.

The Pies are winning the midfield battle, with Jordan De Goey and Steele Sidebottom both on fire. The Giants need more from Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly.

For all that went right for the Pies, their lead is only 11 points. The game is very much alive.

The Magpies have made a better fist of converting their shots at goal and that is the reason, perhaps the only one, that they have the lead at quarter-time in a game that grew closer as the minutes went on.

The Magpies hit hard early, as shown by Bobby Hill’s bump on Lachie Whitfield but the Giants got stronger as the quarter went on, they just kept missing their shots.

Bobby Hill bumps Lachie Whitfield.Credit: AFL Photos

The Giants have missed all three of their shots at goal in this first term and it has cost them.

They are burning so much energy to pressure, defend and keep Collingwood from bursting into their forward line.

But they haven’t taken anything from their hard work in terms of goals.

Pies 14, Giants 3 with a minute to go in Q1.

Jake Riccardi crashed into Pat Lipinski and gave up a 50m penalty at half-back.

McStay marked close to goal but he couldn’t convert.

Still the Giants need to calm down, they haven’t really settled yet.

Magpies 13, Giants 1 with six mins to go in Q1.

Daniel McStay.Credit: AFL Photos

Collingwood’s Jack Crisp has grabbed the ball from a ball-up and kicked a speculative shot for goal….and it went in right alongside the post.

The Giants have struggled to get the footy.

Huge roar, after the goal, as Nick Daicos ran on. He’s at half-forward.

Pies 12, Giants 0 with 15 mins to go in Q1.