The GIANTS and the Hawks meet in a final for the very first time as the sides look to keep their premiership dreams alive in a mouthwatering Elimination Final.
AFL Elimination Final
GIANTS v Hawks
Saturday, September 6 at 3:15pm
ENGIE Stadium | Wangal Country
What It Means For The GIANTS
It’s all on the line for the GIANTS as they look to take down the Hollywood Hawks and keep their dreams of a maiden AFL premiership alive in season 2025.
Entering their eighth finals campaign in the last 10 seasons in a remarkable show of consistency, the GIANTS have been here plenty of times before but must utilise the lessons of years gone by if they’reto take down a brash and confident young Hawthorn side.
Having only lost once since early June – winning nine out of their last 10 games – the GIANTS will enter Saturday’s clash as one of the form teams of the competition and full of confidence after another stellar season which saw them finish fifth after equalling a club record with 16 wins during the home and away season.
As they look to keep their season alive, the GIANTS could be bolstered by a star-studded number of inclusions on Saturday, with Jesse Hogan, Jake Stringer, Josh Kelly, Brent Daniels, Stephen Coniglio, and Jack Buckley all looking to prove their fitness and return from injury to take on the Hawks.
While their form line will give them extreme confidence heading into Saturday’s game, history is also on the GIANTS’ side, with the Hawks yet to win a game against the GIANTS at ENGIE Stadium in six attempts.
The Opposition
Finishing eighth with a record of 15-8, the Hawks regained their mojo in the second half of the season and will enter Saturday’s cutthroat clash having won eight out of their last 11 games.
Channelling their form from last year that labelled them the Hollywood Hawks, Hawthorn registered impressive wins over the likes of Adelaide and Collingwood in the back half of this season and will enter finals knowing their best can match it with any side in the competition.
While falling short to the Lions by 10 points in round 24, the Hawks showed once again that they’re a danger team heading into this year’s finals series, with Sam Mitchell’s side pushing the reigning premiers all the way but ultimately falling short by less than two kicks at the Gabba.
While they’ve registered just one win from five games on the road this season, the Hawks will take confidence in the fact they’ve already beaten the GIANTS this season after registering a 12-point win over Adam Kingsley’s side in Launceston back in round three.
The Hawks could also be buoyed by the return of star Josh Weddle for Saturday’s game, with the talented running defender returning from injury through the VFL last week and now looking to take his place in the senior side for Saturday’s cutthroat final.
Recent History
If recent history is anything to go by then Saturday’s clash could go down to the wire, with an average winning margin of just 6.6 points separating the sides in the last five meetings.
With the last four games split two games apiece, the Hawks are the most recent victor in the match up, registering a gritty 10.16 (76) to 9.10 (64) win in Tasmania in round three.
Played with an incredible breeze favouring one end, the Hawks used a strong third term to take a 20-point lead into the final term before holding on for a gutsy 12-point win.
Tom Green (31 touches), Toby Greene (19 touches, two goals), and Jesse Hogan (four goals) were all strong for the GIANTS, while the Hawks were led by Jack Gunston (16 touches, 2.3) and Josh Weddle (20 touches, nine marks, one goal).
Key Match Up: Can The GIANTS Cast A Spell On The Wizard?
Dubbed ‘The Wizard’, there’s no doubting that Nick Watson is one of Hawthorn’s most dynamic and important players and one who poses a huge threat to the GIANTS on Saturday.
Watson was one of the Hawks’ best in their win over the GIANTS in round three, with the speedy 170cm small forward having a hand in everything on his way to 21 touches, nine score involvements, five tackles, and a goal.
With one of Connor Idun, Lachie Ash, or Joe Fonti the likely GIANT tasked with trying to shut down The Wizard, their ability to limit Watson’s impact will go a long way to a GIANTS victory in Saturday’s cutthroat Elimination Final.
GIANTS Player To Watch: Jake Stringer
While Nick Watson is an x-factor for the Hawks, the GIANTS certainly have a number of their own and there’s arguably none bigger than Jake Stringer.
Brought to the club in the summer after more than 200 games with the Dogs and the Bombers, Stringer will break a four-year finals drought on Saturday if he’s named to return from a hamstring injury to take on the Hawks.
One of the competition’s most dynamic players, Stringer has overcome illness and injury in his first season in orange and charcoal to become a key piece of the GIANTS’ forward half with a starring back half of the season.
Kicking 25 goals from his 14 games, Stringer has shown on numerous occasions that he’s still a force to be reckoned with and capable of doing things only a select few in the competition can.
The 31-year-old has kicked multiple goals in eight games this season and is averaging almost three goals per game over his last five games from round 18-22.
Brought to the club as an x-factor capable of performing in big games, the stage is set for Stringer on Saturday if he’s ruled fit to face the Hawks.
In The Mix:
With Hogan, Stringer, Kelly, Daniels, Coniglio, and Buckley all looking to prove their fitness to take on the Hawks on Saturday, Adam Kingsley is tasked with the unenviable position of deciding just how many changes he should make for a crucial Elimination Final.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name their team to take on the Hawks on Thursday at 6:20pm at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.
Where To Watch:
The GIANTS’ clash with the Hawks will be shown live and free in NSW and the ACT on Channel 7 from 2:30pm, as well as nationally on Fox Footy, Kayo, and Binge from 2pm.
