Coach Leon Cameron has labelled Saturday night’s clash against Melbourne as the club’s first final for 2020.
The GIANTS’ finals aspirations took a hit on Tuesday night, going down to the Crows in Adelaide by 12 points.
With two rounds to go, the reigning Grand Finalists sit in eighth spot on the ladder with tough games against Melbourne (10th) and St Kilda (6th) to come.
“Our first final is this Saturday night,” said Cameron.
“We’ve got a huge challenge. If we can play some really hard and tough footy in four days time then we deserve to get there (the finals).
The GIANTS are the only team to have won a final every season across the last four years but have struggled to play consistently throughout 2020.
The defeat leaves the GIANTS needing to win at least one of, and possibly both, its remaining matches to make the finals for the fifth consecutive season.
Cameron said the Crows "obliterated" his under-siege on-ball brigade in the opening term, when they grabbed the lead and never let it go in eventually winning by 12 points.
Adelaide easily won contested possessions (138-110) and clearances (34-24, including 9-3 in the centre), two advantages that helped it win a lopsided inside 50 count 49-26.
"People talk about ball movement, but you can't get good ball movement off the back of a lack of contest method," Cameron said.
"That's been building for us – we were good against the Eagles, good against Fremantle, good against Carlton, after a slow start and we pegged them back after half-time.
"But to Adelaide's credit, they maintained that rage … (and us playing well in) one out of four quarters is not good enough and we were under the pump.
"I pat my back seven on the back for the majority of the game … but they're defending 49 inside 50s and we had only 26 down the other end and it's just not good enough, because our midfield, again, just let us down."
The GIANTS missed Josh Kelly (concussion), Callan Ward (finger), Zac Williams (Achilles) and Harry Perryman (calf), but still had the likes of Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper and Steve Coniglio to hold the fort.
Defender Aidan Corr (ankle) is in doubt, which is a significant problem, given Phil Davis (knee) has returned to Sydney and Sam Taylor (back) is without a return date, although Kelly and Williams could return.
"We all know the stakes – we're not going to hide away for it," Cameron said.
"I've said it the last three weeks that if you're good enough to make it, you're good enough, and normally the eight that make it have deserved to make it.
"On our performance tonight, clearly that's not going to cut it against Melbourne, so we need to have a quick turnaround and I'm confident we can do that."
