AFL Finals 2023: All the GWS news, analysis and fallout after elimination final win over St Kilda

After what they did on Saturday, it might be time for everyone outside of Olympic Park to take the Giants seriously. Here’s how they steamrolled the Saints – and why rivals should be worried.

The Giants love being off-Broadway.

Being based out in Olympic Park in Sydney provides them with relative anonymity. They can go through their work at their own leisure and slide into contests under the radar.

Even after a club-record winning streak earlier this season, there were some who doubted just how good they really were.

But on Saturday they went into the elimination final against St Kilda in an unusual position: as favourites.

A team that relishes being the underdog, they walked out in front of more than 60,000 Saints fans knowing they were the ones expected to win.

Yet, they were able to live up to the tag with a clinical performance that showcased the game style they’ve built their year on, running away with a 24-point victory at the MCG.

The Saints had no answers for the speed of Finn Callaghan and the Giants. Picture: Michael Klein.

At the heart of what the Giants did well was their speed. They didn’t give the Saints a chance to settle.

Handballs were the order of the day as they attacked the corridor and created chaos for St Kilda’s defence.

A beautiful passage of play in the second quarter would have brought a tear to Adam Kingsley’s eye.

Tom Green found Callan Ward, who handballed to Harry Perryman, who set free Finn Callaghan at pace. It ended with Jesse Hogan kicking his second goal of the day and thrusting a dagger through the heart of the Saints’ faithful.

It was a similar pattern for the rest of the game with the Giants able to find space in their forward half as they finished with 16 marks inside 50.

“I guess as the year’s progressed, we’ve improved significantly – we started to play a recognisable brand that I felt would stack up against high quality opponents,” Kingsley said post-match.

“Towards the end of the season, when we were up and going pretty well, I thought it was possible around then … it’s a hard one to answer, because I did have that inner belief right from the pre-season that we had a really strong group.

“When they play that style of footy, they’re really hard to beat, and that’s certainly what we pride ourselves on.”

Tom Green was at his brilliant best. Picture: Phil Hillyard

But a number of unheralded, including Connor Idun, right, stood up. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The talent of the Giants’ squad has always been there to see and it was their big names that were expected to carry them this September. Tom Green and Josh Kelly did that brilliantly.

However, it was some of their unheralded stars who played the game of their lives at the spiritual home of footy.

While Sam Taylor’s inclusion was a welcome one, it was Connor Idun who became a brick wall in defence. He finished with a game-high 11 intercept possessions as he continues to grow into a phenomenal defender.

Lachie Ash’s run off halfback caused chaos for the Saints as he registered 31 disposals and nine intercept possessions of his own.

And in his first-ever final, Kieren Briggs bounced back from a slow start to win the ruck battle against one of the competition’s best in Rowan Marshall. The Academy product walked off the ground with eight clearances and 28 hit outs as his breakout year goes on for another week.

Naturally, there were plenty of nervous moments. In both the second and third quarters the Saints managed to string a run of goals together. Each time the crowd threatened to rally them home.

But the Giants always had the answer and now yet another semi final awaits.

Originally published as AFL Finals 2023: All the GWS news, analysis and fallout after elimination final win over St Kilda