AFL Finals: GWS star Tom Green opens up on horror loss to Brisbane

The Giants were on the wrong end of the second-biggest comeback in finals history against the Lions. Afterwards, it wasn’t devastation, but stunned silence due to what had just happened.

Adam Kingsley was the first to emerge into what felt like a cavernous room at Engie Stadium with downtrodden friends and family.

His side had somehow thrown away a 44-point lead to Brisbane. It was the second-biggest comeback in finals history, and for the second time in a week, the Giants had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as the Joe Daniher-inspired Lions ended their season.

As the Giants’ coach walked towards his own family, he offered two words to those around him. He knew nothing he could say would fill the void in their emotions, but had to convey that he was sharing that despair with them.

“Sorry guys.”

Kingsley did his best to try and lift spirits after the Giants’ heartbreaking loss. Picture: Phil Hillyard

One by one, more players appeared out of the meeting room. Many of the younger players like Tom Green and Finn Callaghan went straight to parents waiting to share an embrace that provided more comfort than any words could.

Others found their partners and children, giving them a glimpse of the perspective that will be so important as they prepare to deal with the heartache that will likely set in until season 2025 begins.

Then there were those who weren’t on the field and couldn’t influence the match. For some, this would be their final time in a Giants’ changeroom. They took longing looks at each other, with an unfortunate recognition that agony would be their final memory of wearing the orange and charcoal.

This room wasn’t filled with devastation. Having watched on as they lost last year’s preliminary final by a point, those players 12 months ago were in tears because they were so close to a grand final berth.

But this time around, it was stunned silence. Players looked shell-shocked, knowing that yet again despite being the better team for more than 90 per cent of the match, they let the result slip away.

The look on each of their faces all said the same thing: How did this happen?

Green was one of the Giants’ best in a sensational midfield performance. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“Just a seriously wasted opportunity finishing top four,” Green said.

“Losing a qualifying final by a goal and then a semi by five points, having leads in both games, a wasted opportunity and we cost ourselves.

“We just didn’t execute well enough clearly. It’s gonna burn over summer and it’s something that we’re going to have to work on because we know finals are close.

“If we’re gonna look to win finals and win a premiership, we can’t keep serving that up.”

There’s no mistaking the pain the Giants were feeling. But it was particularly evident from those who did everything they could to will their team over the line.

Green was one of them, finishing with a game-high 33 disposals and 10 clearances as he dominated around the stoppages. Jack Buckley was also enormous for the majority of the night with seven intercept possessions and some crucial one-on-one wins in defence

But the most forlorn figure was Jesse Hogan.

The Coleman Medallist was inspirational yet again for the Giants. Five goals. Six contested marks (four more than any other player on the ground). Plus a game-high three tackles inside 50.

As Kingsley pointed out post-match, his teammates just couldn’t go with him – “We need to support him a little better.”

Hogan couldn’t do much more for the Giants after producing the best season by a key forward in the AFL for some time. Picture: Phil Hillyard

This is still a young Giants team. Aaron Cadman and Darcy Jones are both elite talents who will be better for their first taste of September footy, while so many of their core pillars such as Green, Sam Taylor and Kieren Briggs are 25 or under with their best still ahead of them.

But there’s also a generation of inaugural Giants for whom the premiership window is forever becoming smaller. The likes of Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Callan Ward have ridden every little bump along the way of GWS’ rollercoaster 13-year journey but are yet to achieve that ultimate goal they know this club is capable of.

After losing to Collingwood in last year’s preliminary final, they were challenged to find another level. To use that despair as motivation. Their top-four finish in 2024 shows it’s possible.

Yet this finals exit will hurt even more, and for longer. They had destiny in their own hands and let it slip.

As Kingsley left his final press conference of the season, his parting words were, “See you next year”.

Only time will tell just how much of a defining moment this will be for a club that has been within touching distance of glory. It could yet again be the making of them, as long as they don’t let it be the final chapter of their story.

Originally published as AFL Finals: GWS star Tom Green opens up on horror loss to Brisbane