It was something Nick Haynes had never experienced before in his eight years at the GIANTS.

He’d previously been part of GIANTS teams that made consecutive Preliminary Finals in 2016 and 2017, but 2019 was something different.

Despite injuries to key players. Despite lulls in form that at times had outsiders ruling the GIANTS out as contenders for the flag. Despite speculation about the futures of key figures at the club.

Somehow, the GIANTS were able to finish the home-and-away season on a high and fight their way from sixth on the ladder to a maiden Grand Final appearance.

“Coming into finals, we got some players back and were looking really confident,” Haynes told GIANTS TV.

“It was really pleasing that in the end we were able to win those close games in the finals, and the morale around the group was real positive.

“I’ve been at the club eight years and I’ve never felt anything like that morale and that good vibe in those four weeks.

“Leading into the grand final, that positivity was still there, but unfortunately we weren’t able to play for three quarters.”

It was a season the defender described as a “roller-coaster ride”. From a strong start – the GIANTS won three games in the opening month – to bumpy patches through the middle of the season, the GIANTS weathered the storm of a difficult season.

But following disappointing losses to Hawthorn as the snow fell on UNSW Canberra Oval and the Western Bulldogs at GIANTS Stadium, the GIANTS regrouped and made a strong charge into September.

A strong away win over the Suns in round 23 gave the GIANTS momentum heading into the pre-finals bye. They opened their 2019 finals account with a resounding 10-goal win over the red-hot Bulldogs in the Elimination Final – a stark turnaround against the team that had defeated them by 61 points just three weeks prior.

Few predicted the GIANTS would win at the Gabba against the Brisbane Lions – who’d jostled with Geelong for top spot on the AFL ladder in the final rounds of the home and away season – but a match-winning goal from Brent Daniels, coupled with a brilliant final few minutes from the GIANTS’ defence, secured the semi-final win.

A week later, it was another brilliant defensive effort against the Magpies that saw the GIANTS hold on by four points in a thriller, securing the club’s first-ever Grand Final berth.

But on the AFL’s biggest stage, the GIANTS were unable to recapture the form that had carried them to the last day in September, going down to a rampant Richmond side.

Haynes, who signed a five-year contract extension at the beginning of the year, said the events that unfolded that day would not be the lasting legacy of the 2019 GIANTS.

“With that roller-coaster ride, the year ended with a downhill slope on Grand Final day,” he said. 

“We’re not going to be defined off three quarters of football.

“Those four weeks (in the lead up to the Grand Final) were something special, and we’re not going to lose that in the next few years.

“We’re going to hold onto that and that’s what’s going to get us through the pre-season. We’re going to start the year fit and healthy and go one more step next year.”

For Haynes, 2019 was a big year on an individual front as well.

He built on a brilliant 2018, finishing third in the league for intercept marks (GIANTS co-captain Phil Davis was first) and averaging 18 disposals, playing 23 of a possible 26 games.

He was named in the initial Virgin Australia All Australian squad of 40 and finished the season claiming the Members and Fans MVP award at the Kevin Sheedy Medal, as well as finishing fourth in the club champion award named after the GIANTS’ inaugural coach.

“I had a few stress fractures in the pre-season and didn’t start running until February – I thought I’d have a bit of an interrupted start to the season,” Haynes said.

“But the medical staff and rehab staff got me up over a six-week preseason, and then to be able to play round two and only miss a couple of games for the rest of the season, I think that allowed me to play some consistent footy and be able to play my role for the team well.

“Having those defenders around me just makes me a better player as well. Having Heath Shaw, Phil Davis, Sam Taylor (and) Zac Williams being able to help your game, a lot of credit goes to them as well.”

The GIANTS will not lack belief when the 2020 season rolls around, according to Haynes, nor will they be carrying any baggage from their Grand Final defeat.

“Coming into finals, we had that inner belief that we were going to make it (to the Grand Final),” Haynes said. “We’ve had that belief for a while now and we didn’t perform for three quarters. That’s not going to define who we are as a team.

“We’ve proved that we can play in big finals and stand up in big moments.

“Coming into next year, we’re going to have no scars from those three quarters and we’re going to have that belief and confidence that we’re going to get in that same position and be able to perform in that position.”

Around a little bit of travel and recharging after a massive season, Haynes will be able to turn his attention to a side-project he’s been working on off the footy field this season: a documentary about the GIANTS.

“I think it’s more important than ever to showcase what this club’s about and I’m looking forward to capturing that and sending a good vibe out for next year.”