Live: Giants vs Eagles

The GWS Giants have smacked West Coast out of the finals series to set-up a preliminary final clash with Richmond.

GWS are through to a second-straight preliminary final and will now take on Richmond for a spot in the grand final.

The Giants pulverised West Coast, completely outclassing the Eagles in a 67-point romp that was all over at half time. It was a huge night for the giants, but an embarrassing crowd has taken some of the shine of a big win for the developing club.

10.20pm

Finals fixtures confirmed

The GWS Giants have set-up a preliminary final against Richmond on Saturday at the MCG from 4.45pm.

On Friday night the Crows host Geelong on Adelaide Oval from 7.50pm for a spot in the grand final.

10.05pm

Giants win on embarrassing night for footy

THE AFL has been embarrassed by a disgracefully-low crowd at the GWS-West Coast semifinal at Spotless Stadium on Saturday night.

Just 14,865 fans watched on as the Giants blasted the Eagles by 67 points — the lowest since crowds were sparse because of World War I.

Tonight's crowd of 14,865 is the lowest for a final since 1916 (Fitzroy v Collingwood, 9960, semi-final at MCG). #AFLFinals #AFLGiantsEagles — Max Laughton (@maxlaughton) September 16, 2017

The fifth lopsided result from six games in this year’s finals series only added to the underwhelming affair.

After only one close game in the first week of finals, fans endured two semifinal thumpings this weekend to continue the September snoozefest.

This finals series proving pretty underwhelming thus far to be honest. #AFLGiantsEagles — Rohan Connolly (@rohan_connolly) September 16, 2017

After a minor round which featured countless cliffhangers, the AFL will now rely on preliminary final weekend to revive its postseason.

Patrick Dangerfield returns to Adelaide with Geelong on Friday night while GWS will head south to play Richmond on Saturday after a blistering return to form.

They’ll play in front of around 80,000 more people - but they’ll all be wearing yellow and black.

“It will be the most one-sided crowd in the history of the game,” former Tiger Matthew Richardson said.

Steve Johnson did his best to keep the crowd awake at Spotless, kicking six second half goals after the Giants had raced to a six-goal advantage at the main break.

Dropped for his side’s qualifying final thrashing at the hands of the Crows, Johnson joined the party once the damage was already done but will no doubt keep his spot in the side for the MCG blockbuster.

Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward, Dylan Shiel and Stephen Coniglio were all in top form in the midfield while Jon Patton thrived as the only tall in attack.

After defeating Port Adelaide after the siren in extra time last weekend, the Eagles farewelled retiring heroes Sam Mitchell, Matt Priddis and Drew Petrie with a pathetic showing.

Johnson, however, is playing like a man, who knows there are no more second-chances.

The recalled veteran will add at least one more chapter to a storied career, provided his dodgy knee holds up ahead of the Giants’ preliminary final against Richmond at the MCG on Saturday.

The 34-year-old kicked four goals in the third term of a spiteful semi-final at Spotless Stadium.

“It was the knock to the back of my head that knocked some talent back into me,” Johnson, sporting a bandaged head, quipped to Channel Seven. “I was always confident I could play a role even though I wasn’t selected last week.

“It’s not going to be this easy next week.”

The heat was on GWS after last week’s embarrassing loss to Adelaide but Leon Cameron’s side responded ruthlessly.

The hosts opened up a 37-point lead early in the second quarter and never looked back.

The Giants regained their mojo, heaping pressure on the besieged Eagles while moving the ball with a potent mix of precision and pace.

Dylan Shiel, Nathan Wilson, Lachie Whitfield and Toby Greene were among the Giants’ best, having all been well below their best against the Crows. Shiel booted the game’s opening goal, which came after a nervy nine minutes, and had plenty of the ball.

Greene copped a painful blow to the head from Jeremy McGovern but managed to kick three goals, while Wilson’s superboot was involved in so many of the Giants’ surges forward.

Whitfield recovered from a jaw-rattling cash with Petrie on the cusp of halftime to finish with 28 disposals.

Aside from a couple of wasted chances in front of goal and a small crowd of 14,865, the only major concern for GWS was Nick Haynes’ injury scare in the third term.

Haynes continued to play after hurting his knee, suggesting he is a likely starter against Richmond.

— with AAP

9.25pm

AFL embarrassed in NRL crowd battle

The GWS Giants have set a new AFL low for the smallest crowd in a finals game in the history of the sport.

The Giants attracted a crowd of just 14,865.

The lowest AFL finals crowd in recent years was previously 19,127 to see North Melbourne beat Sydney by 35 points in a 2008 elimination final at ANZ Stadium, The Herald Sun reports.

The next lowest is the 17,503 crowd that witnessed South Melbourne win the 1924 elimination final against Fitzroy at the MCG.

Footy commentators have been surprised by the Giants’ struggle to attract a big crowd to their boutique stadium for their showdown with West Coast.

On a cold and unforgiving night in Sydney, many fans appear to have stayed away with large areas of Spotless Stadium completely vacant despite the enormity of the situation with a preliminary final birth on the line.

Across the road at Sydney Olympic Park, the Parramatta Eels’ clash with the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium is building as one of the better crowds of the NRL finals series.

The NRL final attracted a crowd of 41,287.

They bag the @NRL crowds, but they're having a laugh here the Giants. Where are they? #AFLGiantsEagles pic.twitter.com/whxvSqqXLr — Tim Barrow (@TheBarrow) September 16, 2017

Great to see the Giants loyal fans have all turned up tonight for the big final... #AFLGiantsEagles pic.twitter.com/lYWoVbZMRb — Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) September 16, 2017

Wow, they should give out some free tickets #AFLGiantsEagles — Tracaus (@AusTracey) September 16, 2017

Looking forward to this one! Giants should have it but either way this will be the last time we see Stevie J or Sam Mitchell @FOXFootyLive pic.twitter.com/uCKDxBTg2H — Tom Morris (@tommorris32) September 16, 2017

This crowd is a dead set disgrace for the @AFL, especially in a final. This is like an NRL crowd. #AFLFinals #AFLGiantsEagles — Dylan (@FrosTieez) September 16, 2017

Why aren't the tarps out at spotless stadium?? Very poor crowd! #AFLGiantsEagles #AFLFinals — David Luke (@DavidLuke4) September 16, 2017

9.25pm

Stevie J Show in full swing

Steve Johnson took over the third quarter — and boy did the game need it.

As the Giants continued to punish the Eagles, casual fans would have been tempted to flick over to the Wallabies game or the NRL final between the Cowboys and Eels.

But the recalled Johnson gave viewers a reason to keep watching by kicking four goals for the term.

He stole the ball from an Eagles opponent to kick his first before out-marking two players to add his second. His third was a left foot snap that curled perfectly through the big sticks before a regulation mark and goal from 25m out gave him four.

Brett Deledio began his preparations for a date with his old club next week by kicking his first goal as the Giants added 6.3 to 1.0.

8.40pm

September Snoozefest continues

The AFL is witnessing its fifth lopsided final from six games as the postseason largely fails to deliver the cliffhangers which were so frequent in the minor round.

After only one close game in the first week of finals and a thumping Geelong win against Sydney on Friday night, GWS is working over a West Coast outfit whose season looks like it went one game too far.

The Giants lead by six goals at half time after dominating most of the second quarter, adding 4.3 to 1.2.

Callan Ward and Dylan Shiel are imposing themselves on the contest and Toby Greene has three majors.

Luke Shuey and Jack Redden have found plenty of the footy for West Coast but its mostly been one-way traffic.

8pm

Giants settle first after comical opening

There might not be many people in the crowd but the GWS Giants have made a tidy start at their home ground in tonight’s elimination semi-final.

The Giants lead 5.4 (34) to 3.0 (18) at quarter time after settling first in a game that featured some incredible bloopers in a scoreless opening 10 minutes.

Giants forward Jon Patton kicked the ball off the side of his boot straight to the man standing the mark and Eagles ruckman Nathan Vardy managed a fresh air handball to highlight a comedy of errors.

But GWS turned on its vaunted spread from defence to take control of the contest. Tom Scully and Toby Greene made an impact and it could have been a larger advantage if not for the work of Eagles defenders Jeremy McGovern and Tom Barrass.

7.10pm

Giants star reveals true heartache of injury

Jeremy Cameron says he’s devastated his 2017 campaign is over with his team’s finals charge on a knife’s edge.

Cameron has already conceded he will not return to football this season because of a hamstring injury — even if his team makes it through to the grand final.

“It is devastating,” Cameron told Channel 7.

“But at the same time you have to be positive around the club.

“I spoke to a few people at the club ... some of the guys are out the whole season who missed every game, like Matthew Buntine and a few of these guys.

“You have to run around the club and do your normal thing.”

6.15pm

No late changes

Both GWS and West Coast will line up on Spotless Stadium with the same 22 players they announced on Thursday.

It means West Coast will field their most experienced team in the club’s history.

No late changes at Spotless, Hutchings to start on pine... wait & assess if he goes to Shiel or Kelly? #AFLGiantsEagles — Adam Curley (@AdamCurleyMedia) September 16, 2017

W-L for @GWSGIANTS in finals

1-0 when Stevie J plays

0-2 when he has missed #AFLFinals #AFLGiantsEagles — Swamp (@sirswampthing) September 16, 2017

Combined 3,300 games for the @WestCoastEagles 22

Most experienced side they have ever put on a park, #AFLGiantsEagles — Swamp (@sirswampthing) September 16, 2017

5.30pm

Text that resurrected Giants star

Hot and cold Giants star Steve Johnson has earned a re-call for what could be his final game in the AFL and a text message exchange with a Giants assistant coach shows exactly why he’s back for the expansion club.

Johnson has replaced star forward Jeremy Cameron (hamstring), but he still had to convince the Giants’ selection committee he could be counted on in one of the biggest games in the club’s short history.

Here’s how he did it.

Giants assistant coach and former Essendon star Mark McVeigh revealed his exchange with Johnson leading into the club’s decision to select the 34-year-old.

“We had another fellow assistant coach Spike McVeigh on Triple M last night and he said Stevie J occasionally walks past him and says, ‘I’ve got 120 minutes in me coach,’” Fox Sports’ presenter Neroli Meadows said in an interview with Giants assistant coach Dean Brogan.

“Then this past week Spike texted him and said, ‘Do you have 120 minutes in you?’ And he (Johnson) said, ‘No talking this week, all action.’”

Brogan responded: “Yeah Stevie’s quite good like that.”

Brogan also revealed Johnson’s attitude in response to be overlooked for his team’s qualifying final loss to Adelaide also helped convince coach Leon Cameron that he was the right man to be re-called to face the Eagles.

“We all know what Stevie’s quite capable of, losing Shane Mumford and Jeremy Cameron — two of our most experienced and hardest who play on the edge a bit probably opened up the door for Stevie,” Brogan said.

“Stevie’s attitude last week when he didn’t get selected was unbelievable. He turned up and played really well against the Crows in the reserves.

“He’ll probably something that frustrates us but hopefully he’ll do something a bit brilliant. He’s tailor-made for situations like this.

“Stevie’s quite good like that, he loves walking past the coaches room saying, ‘The knee’s all good, I’m not sore’ and look that’s what we love about him.”

5pm

Huge development in Stringer saga

Jake Stringer has reportedly told the Western Bulldogs he wants to be traded to Geelong during the 2017 trade period.

The out-of-favour premiership star has also reportedly received interest from Essendon, Collingwood and St Kilda.

Triple M’s Damien Barrett reported on Friday night Stringer will request a move to Geelong, but may be forced to accept a move to another Melbourne-based club because of Geelong’s limited ability to offer top-end draft picks to make the trade stick.

“His club of choice, as we speak today, is Geelong,” Barrett said,

“But how they get it done, with their lack of access to high-end draft picks, and given that they’ve already gone down a path...of the Ablett project, it’s going to make things difficult for him.”

4pm

Veterans need to lift

Greater Western Sydney veterans Steve Johnson and Brett Deledio boast a combined 539 AFL games of experience but the pressure is on both to deliver in Saturday’s semi-final.

Retiring star Johnson was omitted for last week’s qualifying final, having produced arguably his worst performance for the Giants in the final round of the regular season against former club Geelong.

Deledio was restricted by a sore Achilles last week and managed just three kicks against Adelaide, while the former Richmond midfielder’s lack of pressure was also criticised.

Johnson and Deledio’s best football is on par with the league’s most talented players but it has been rarely sighted in 2017.

Johnson’s chronic knee problem has restricted him to 16 games and 15 goals this year. Deledio had been steadily building form and fitness since making a delayed start to the season in round 20 but is yet to dominate.

The 30-year-old will be desperate to improve a personal finals record of 0-4 when GWS face West Coast at Spotless Stadium.

“Every player, no matter how good they are, they go through (poor) games and form slumps,” GWS midfielder Dylan Shiel told reporters on Friday. “Brett wasn’t the only one that was down on form last week.

“There were plenty of others, like myself. We’re all excited we have that second chance and we have to make the most of it.”

Deledio failed to train on Friday but Shiel insisted he is in no danger of missing the knockout clash with the Eagles.

“Those blokes north of 30, they don’t like to train too much,” Shiel said. “Brett’s in really good condition.”

The prospect of Johnson being a last-minute withdrawal is also slim, with the 34-year-old having impressed coach Leon Cameron on the track this week.

“You can probably say that now, because we lost,” Shiel quipped, when asked if the Giants missed Johnson’s spark in last week’s qualifying final. “He’s training really hard. He’s excited, he knows what this time of year is all about.”

— AAP