The Giants have overcome the Power for the first time since their inaugural grand final run in 2019 to book a preliminary final date with the Pies.
Despite some wayward kicking and a smoldering fightback from Port Adelaide, the Giants held their nerve to secure a 9.16 (70) to 13.15 (93) win at the Adelaide Oval.
In another win on the road, a focal point of their 2023 campaign, the Giants carried out a second-term blitz which left the Power playing catch-up.
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Giants captain Toby Greene starred with three goals, 15 disposals and six marks.
“It’s been an inspired decision to make Toby the captain this season,” AFL great David King said on Fox Footy.
“You can see his calmness with this group.”
Despite sitting 14th on the AFL ladder after round 15, Greene remained confident that the team’s best was enough to beat anyone.
“We were full of confidence, we knew if we played close to our best footy we would be hard to beat,” Greene said post-match.
“They are a bloody good side, they made us work… but we had full confidence if we played our best we could be hard to beat. I’m just so happy to be in a prelim.”
The Giants will be sweating on the fitness of ruck Kieren Briggs who injured his shoulder after hitting the turf in a contest.
The opening term went goal-for-goal with both teams unwilling to give an inch.
Willie Rioli kicked off the scoring for Port Adelaide before Greene delivered a quick response for GWS.
This pattern continued with Rioli and Greene both nailing their second goal before the first break as the Giants took a slim, three-point lead into quarter time.
Jesse Hogan soon had his second, trigging a run of five unanswered goals as the Giants assumed control and catapulted to a 29-point advantage at halftime.
GWS dominated the opening half, winning 29 clearances of which 17 resulted in inside 50 entries, well above the AFL average of seven.
Hogan has continued his goal-kicking ways, finishing the match with figures of 4.4.
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Rioli booted his third as Ollie Lord and Todd Marshall helped reduce the deficit.
In his return from an extended break with a foot injury, Charlie Dixon added his name to the score sheet as the Power mounted a last-term comeback.
However, inaccuracy in front of goal spoiled any hope of a come-from-behind win with Port Adelaide kicking 1.5, with another out on the full, in the final term.
Greene capped his evening with his third goal to end the Power’s season in straight sets.
Port skipper Tom Jonas ended his 13-year career on the sideline with an injury but was still chaired off by Ollie Wines and Travis Boak.
The win sets up a preliminary final against Collingwood, the fourth final-four finish in the club’s history.
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