Collingwood held on for dear life to beat a gallant GIANTS side by just one point to progress to the AFL Grand Final.

The game was in the balance right up until the final siren, keeping the crowd of 97,665 on the edge of their seats as the GIANTS bench urged their teammates to run forward at all costs.

But the Pies threw as many numbers as possible around the ball, clogging it down in the middle of the ground in a reversal of the preliminary final between the two sides from four years ago.

Josh Daicos found some rare space on the wing in the final few seconds, securing the 8.10 (58) to 8.9 (57) win as the MCG literally shook, such were the crowd celebrations on the final siren.

The GIANTS had got out to a 17-point lead early in the third term, but playing their third final in three weeks, struggled to maintain their ballistic gamestyle for all four quarters, finding a second wind late (and a Jesse Hogan goal) to push the Pies all the way to the finish.

Collingwood clung onto its one-point lead for six minutes and 18 seconds, including a game-saving mark from Steele Sidebottom after Toby Greene's snap was on-line.

The Pies kicked the only two goals of the first quarter, capitalising on a slight edge in inside 50s as the GIANTS backline settled into the game.

The second quarter has been when the GIANTS have put teams to the sword this finals series, and while they weren't quite as ballistic as last week's efforts against Port Adelaide, the GIANTS were able to pick their way through Collingwood's full-ground zone with relative ease.

First it was Toby Greene, then Tom Green, and then the skipper set up Isaac Cumming and suddenly, after being goalless in the first term, the GIANTS took a 10-point lead into half-time.

The GIANTS even kicked the first of the third, making it five straight goals, before Collingwood finally steadied enough to hit a target inside 50, a former GIANT in Bobby Hill ending the Pies' 62-minute goalless streak.

Collingwood rediscovered its drive off half-back, opening up the game through Jeremy Howe, Scott Pendlebury and Isaac Quaynor, with Jack Crisp and Pat Lipinski also lifting in the middle.

Substitute and fan favourite Jack Ginnivan's first touch – a wild shot on goal at the start of the fourth term – was greeted with a wall of noise, the lively small replacing key forward Dan McStay (knee) at three-quarter time.

Sam Taylor and Jack Buckley were simply superb in defence for the GIANTS, with Lachie Whitfield running hard all game off half-back. 

COLLINGWOOD                        2.2     2.6     7.7     8.10     (58)
GIANTS                                       0.3     4.1     6.9     8.9    (57) 

GOALS

Collingwood: McStay 2, Crisp, Hill, Elliott, McCreery, Mihocek, Cox
GIANTS: Greene 2, Green, Cumming, Riccardi, Brown, Lloyd, Hogan

BEST

Collingwood: De Goey, Crisp, Pendlebury, Quaynor, N.Daicos, Cox
GIANTS: Green, Greene, Taylor, Whitfield, Hogan, Coniglio

INJURIES

Collingwood: McStay (knee)
GIANTS: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES

Collingwood: Jack Ginnivan (replaced McStay at three-quarter time)
GIANTS: Xavier O'Halloran (replaced Ward in the fourth quarter) 

Crowd: 97,665 at the MCG