The GIANTS' finals flame is still flickering after a gutsy 12-point away win against Port Adelaide.
The GIANTS, with Stephen Coniglio and Jake Stringer booting three goals each, triumphed 10.15 (75) to 9.9 (63) at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
They sit in 12th spot only one win outside the top 10 with home games against Gold Coast, West Coast, and an away encounter against Adelaide, to come.
The GIANTS broke the 15th-placed Power with a stretch of six consecutive goals either side of half-time en route to a ninth victory of the season.
Stringer and Coniglio's scoring output was pivotal, and veteran Lachie Whitfield (29 disposals, one goal, seven tackles) was outstanding.
GIANTS Harvey Thomas (22 touches), Clayton Oliver (23) and Lachie Ash (25) all were influential.
Port's prime mover Jason Horne-Francis was superb in midfield and attack with 29 disposals, seven clearances and a goal, and Aliir Aliir (21 disposals, seven marks) continued his fine season in defence.
Youngster Joe Berry (24 touches) was busy while spearhead Mitch Georgiades scored three goals and Todd Marshall slotted two.
Port booted the initial two goals of the game, but after GIANTS forward Aaron Cadman set up one goal and kicked another, the home side led by only one point at quarter-time.
The visitors started the second stanza strongly with two quick goals, including a stunning long-range effort from Ryan Angwin.
But the GIANTS then missed three relatively easy shots at goal and soon paid for their waste when Port scored four goals in 10 minutes to turn an 11-point deficit into an 11-point advantage.
The GIANTS rallied late with Coniglio and Stringer converting for a two-point half-time advantage, 6.6 to 6.4.
The visitors rode their momentum in the third term as Stringer and Coniglio goaled again in a stretch of four successive majors to create a 29-point buffer.
Port potted two late goals to reduce the deficit to 17 points at three-quarter time.
Georgiades converted his third goal 13 minutes into the final quarter, and the key forward had a chance for another with less than four minutes remaining that would have reduced the margin to only eight points.
But he missed a 35m set shot and the GIANTS, despite not scoring a goal in the last term, prevailed.
Lachie's rare gem
Before Saturday night Lachie Whitfield hadn’t kicked a goal since round 14, 2023, a run of 76 games, but when he broke the drought he did it in style; 45 metres out, next to the boundary and on the run. The score was as valuable as it was rare, putting the Giants four goals up and on their way to what could be a season-saving win.
POWER 2.2 6.4 8.5 9.9 (63)
GIANTS 2.1 6.6 10.10 10.15 (75)
GOALS
POWER: Georgiades 3, Marshall 2, Zadow, Horne-Francis, Bergman, Bamert
GIANTS: Stringer 3, Coniglio 3, Whitfield, Cadman, Brown, Angwin
