“So we’d love to play in front of them finals time, but we’ve got a job to do next week, and if we can do that, then we’ll get that opportunity.”
Kingsley agreed the Dockers had been playing finals-like matches for weeks, having overcome then second-placed Brisbane in their previous game, before meeting sixth-placed Fremantle on Saturday and finishing the regular season with the seventh-placed Western Bulldogs in Ballarat next Sunday.
“I think we’ve had a great dress rehearsal for the finals with the teams that we’ve played over the last five weeks,” Kingsley said. “I’m really comfortable with that. But again, getting there is one thing, the season starts again now and we’ve got to make sure that we’re playing our best.”
Three pieces of magic allowed the Giants to regain the lead during the third quarter, with an under-pressure dribble from Toby Green allowing Hogan to pop through his third goal from the square, a Darcy Jones showpiece that came during an active third quarter, and a roving banana from one of the Giant’s best players, Brett Daniels.
Gathering a hot handball from Tom Green, Jones dodged an opponent then let go with a right-foot banana kick which curled through the goal, putting the Giants back in front.
And Daniels made something out of nothing, spinning out of a pack for his right-foot checkside goal.
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Green was instrumental in the Giants’ third-quarter comeback after a quiet start, and finished the game with a massive 40 possessions including 13 clearances. Veteran Stephen Coniglio had a big second half. Cogniglio was busy in his first game since round 18 after recovering from a shoulder injury.
It was an exceptional performance from Fremantle’s Andrew Brayshaw which kept the visitors in the game, with 41 possessions.
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