When and Where:

Saturday, September 9 at 3:20pm
MCG | Wurundjeri Country 

What it Means for the GIANTS:

It’s do or die for the GIANTS as they look to remain in the premiership race with victory over the Saints in enemy territory at the ‘G on Saturday afternoon.

After a slow start to their tenure under new coach Adam Kingsley, sitting 15^th with a 4-8 record at round 13, the GIANTS have since found their mojo to win nine of their past 11 matches, equal with Carlton as the best record in the AFL across that span.

The blistering late-season surge saw the GIANTS register a new club-record seven-match winning streak between rounds 13-20, before following it up with crucial wins over the Bombers and the Blues to round out the home and away season.

Following their record-breaking 126-point smashing of Essendon in round 23, the GIANTS backed it up with an equally impressive 32-point win over Carlton to punch its ticket to the finals. The crucial win not only booked the GIANTS a spot in September, but also put an end to the Blues’ nine-game winning streak.

Riding a wave of momentum into September, the GIANTS will now clash with the inconsistent Saints who finished one spot above the GIANTS in sixth to earn a home final.

Saturday’s elimination final between the GIANTS and the Saints will be the first time the two sides have ever met in a final, and just the GIANTS’ second and the Saints’ third game at the MCG this season. The GIANTS singular visit to the ‘G ended in defeat to Collingwood, while the Saints are 1-1 in their two outings at the iconic venue this season.

Last Time We Met:

It was St Kilda who reigned supreme the only prior time the sides have met this season, with Saints spearhead Max King kicking four goals in his first match of the year to help secure a 13.14 (92) to 12.8 (80) victory in round 10 at GIANTS Stadium.

In a gripping contest, no more than four points separated the sides at the first three breaks before the Saints outscored the GIANTS two goals to one in a gritty final term to register a tough-fought 12-point win.

While the GIANTS won the clearance battle by 12 in the loss, the Saints were able to dominate possession, winning both the contested (158 v 143) and uncontested (246 v 206) battle convincingly.

Lachie Whitfield (32 touches) and Tom Green (29 touches, nine clearances) had strong games for the GIANTS despite the result, while vice-captains Stephen Coniglio (26 disposals, one goal) and Josh Kelly (24 touches, one goal) also performed well.

Brent Daniels (24 touches, two goals), Toby Greene (16 disposals, two goals), and Jesse Hogan (14 disposals, two goals) were the GIANTS’ best ahead of the ball.

For the Saints, Jack Sinclair (37 touches), Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (29 touches), and skipper Jack Steele (25 touches) found plenty of the ball, while King (11 touches, eight marks, four goals) was the dominant forward on the ground.

Where’s the Opposition at?

St Kilda will enter just its second finals campaign since 2011 when current and former coach Ross Lyon shockingly departed the club following their elimination final loss to the Swans.

In his second stint at the helm, ‘Ross the Boss’ has taken the Saints from last season’s tenth-placed finish to sixth in 2023, registering 13 wins and 10 losses from 23 games.

But despite their improvement under Lyon, the Saints will enter the finals following an inconsistent patch of form, winning just five of their last 11 matches and only registering consecutive victories once in that same period.

In their most recent outing, a round 24 clash with Brisbane, the Saints fought valiantly but fell short to the Lions by 12 points at the Gabba.

After some wayward kicking early by the home side, the Saints pounced on the Lions with three quick goals to snatch the lead early in the second half before Brisbane rallied to run out 9.18 (72) to 9.6 (60) winners.

Jack Sinclair (30 touches) and Brad Couch (26 touches) were prolific in the loss, while Tim Membrey (three goals) was the Saints’ most impactful forward.

The Saints enter the pointy end of the season as the second-least experienced side participating in this year’s finals series, with 19 players on St Kilda’s list having at least one AFL finals game experience, while the GIANTS have 21.

GIANTS Player to Watch:

 Kieren Briggs is set to play in his first final on Saturday against the Saints after emerging as one of the competition’s brightest young ruckmen in the back half of the 2023 season.

Since given an opportunity in round 10, coincidentally against the Saints, Briggs has quickly become one of the GIANTS’ most crucial players in their push towards September.

Playing in 14 straight games since the clash with the Saints, the 23-year-old has averaged almost 16 disposals per game to go along with 6.4 clearances, 4.8 tackles, and 26 hitouts per outing.

Briggs’ 6.4 clearances per game have him ranked number one in the competition among all ruckmen, while he ranks third for tackles per game and sixth for possessions among his adversaries.

On Saturday, the promising ruckman will be tasked with taking on one of the competition’s best and most established ruckmen, Rowan Marshall, with the contest sure to have a major say on the outcome of the clash.

Meanwhile star swingman Harry Himmelberg will play his 150^th AFL game against the Saints. The major milestone will see Himmelberg awarded Life Membership of the GIANTS. After being drafted to the club via a first-round pick in the 2015 AFL Draft, Himmelberg has proven himself as one of the most dynamic players in the competition.

In the Mix:

Several GIANTS will come into consideration to take on the Saints, with star key defender Sam Taylor and emerging midfielder Finn Callaghan ramping up their training during the week in a bid to return on Saturday.

One of the best defenders in the competition, Taylor injured his hamstring in round 23 against Essendon and was forced to watch the GIANTS crucial final round clash with the Blues on the sidelines.

Taylor, along with Callaghan, who last played in round 21 against the Swans after managing ongoing achilles soreness, will both look to train fully on Thursday to push their case for selection against the Saints.

Meanwhile, Xavier O’Halloran and Braydon Preuss both performed strongly in a scrimmage against the Swans on the weekend of the Carlton clash and are available for selection.

Toby Bedford (suspension) will need to overturn his one-match ban at the AFL Appeal Board on Thursday in order to be available against the Saints.

For St Kilda, full forward Max King is in line to return after being managed against Brisbane in round 24, while Dougal Howard and Josh Battle are both available.

Meanwhile Seb Ross is racing the clock to be fit in time for Saturday’s clash as he attempts to overcome a persistent hamstring injury. Jack Billings could also come into consideration after being in the Saints’ 26-man squad for their most recent clash with the Lions.

Rehab Report:

Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s clash with the Saints here.  

Where to Watch:

Saturday’s match will be shown live on Fox Footy and Kayo nationally and on Channel 7 from 3pm.