Unofficial Preview First week of finals

[Colonial]

Afternoon sun notwithstanding, the Cumberland Stand has some of the best views of any stadium in the country.

Located elsewhere, it would make a fantastic Member's Stand.

Would make our tv look better as well.

 

[sydney_gws]

Does anybody know if Jesse will play?
I think best to play him, if we lose at least he has played another final. It sounds like he needs surgery to shave some bone spurs in the off season.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

Does anybody know if Jesse will play?
I think best to play him, if we lose at least he has played another final. It sounds like he needs surgery to shave some bone spurs in the off season.

I love Jesse, only the 2nd Coleman Medalist in our history, and hope he plays. But should he given that our goals are coming without him? If sone of the injured players such as Daniels and Buckley are coming back, is it too disruptive for a winning team to have many changes? 3 changes from a previous week is the maximum inclusions Kingsley has made to our team in 2025

 

[Giant Strides]

As much as I like Jesse and how good he has been for our club, if he's not right, he shouldn't play.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

As much as I like Jesse and how good he has been for our club, if he's not right, he shouldn't play.

There were rumours that Davis was not 100% fit when we played our only Grand Final in 2019? In the end, wouldn’t have made a difference as Richmond were too good

 

[Giant YoYo]

As much as I like Jesse and how good he has been for our club, if he's not right, he shouldn't play.

I feel like we played a couple players who were not 100% right or had some niggles in finals previously (perhaps last year?) and from my recollection, I don't believe it ended very well for them

So I'd much prefer if they did not play, if there is any doubt.

 

[Colonial]

There were rumours that Davis was not 100% fit when we played our only Grand Final in 2019? In the end, wouldn’t have made a difference as Richmond were too good

Wasn’t a rumour. Watched the warm up first hand and he could barely move.

We were in the game until quarter time, which was when they made some changes after working out Davis couldn’t move and Whitfield was nowhere near 100%

 

[Crusey]

If anyone missed out on tickets I have 2 available (Section 206 on wing row c)

 

[sydney_gws]

I feel like we played a couple players who were not 100% right or had some niggles in finals previously (perhaps last year?) and from my recollection, I don't believe it ended very well for them

So I'd much prefer if they did not play, if there is any doubt.

I agree. Grand final though, maybe different story for at most one player.

 

[Orangeutan]

According to Ticketmaster, we're now at "low availability".
Always hard to tell what's going on with how they release areas.
Signs are good for a strong turnout.

 

[Giant Strides]

The official preview thread is up: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...m-saturday-6-september-engie-stadium.1400794/

However, we'll keep this thread open for admin matters, enquiries etc. Post all game related comments and questions into the official preview. I'll move anything admin-y over to here if posted in the preview thread.

 

[MelbourneGWS]

An interesting article that looks at reasons why each finalist can win or not win the premiership. Is the glass half full or half empty!

5. GWS​

Why they will: It’s their time. No team needs a premiership in 2025 more desperately than the Giants do, having come so close so many times across the last decade. Three times in the last nine years they have lost preliminary finals, two by under a goal; they’ve also lost three semi finals, two of them by single-figure margins. All they have to show for that time at or near the top is a single grand final appearance in 2019, in which they were humiliated by Richmond. Last year was most devastating of all – the Giants had both eventual grand finalists Sydney and Brisbane on the ropes in their qualifying and semi finals respectively, before giving up match-winning leads to lose in heartbreaking fashion on both occasions. They’ve had a summer of soul-searching and a full season with redemption on their minds; having won nine of their last ten games to earn a home final, with four of those wins against top-eight rivals, the Giants head into September in red-hot form – and knowing this could well be the last chance at a flag that seemed inevitable ten years ago.

Why they won’t: No second chances. The Giants are no strangers to making deep September runs from outside the top four – they made it all the way to the big dance from sixth in 2019, while in 2023 they won back-to-back finals on the road before pushing eventual premiers Collingwood all the way in an epic preliminary final. That’s the sticker, though: once again, GWS have no room for missteps in 2025, especially with the top eight so even. They’ll need to be even more perfect, arguably, than Brisbane were from the exact same position 12 months ago, as it’s unlikely a team will spurn a 44-point lead like the Giants themselves did against the Lions in that stunning semi final choke. Eighth-placed Hawthorn in week one are a dangerous opponent, even at home; get through that challenge, and things get even tougher, with the Giants needing three consecutive finals wins away from home to secure a premiership. It’s not impossible – but it’s bloody tough.

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/08/30/why-every-finalist-can-win-the-2025-premiership-and-why-they-cant/