This Saturday will officially be dubbed ‘Giant Saturday’, with two huge games for local GWS Giants fans to sink their teeth into.
Kicking off at 2.30pm will arguably be the most anticipated Super Netball Grand Final in history, with the NSW Swifts doing battle with Giants Netball at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.
With all of NSW in lockdown, this could be the most watched game of netball ever with the two sides meeting in the deciding game for the first time.
After qualifying early and enjoying last weekend off, the Swifts will go into Saturday’s Grand Final as favourites as they look to win their second Super Netball title in three years.
As for the Giants, they return to the grandest stage for the first time since the 2017 season after defeating West Coast in last Saturday’s Preliminary Final 64-61.
“We are just so thrilled, so excited, a little bit relieved in some ways, but just so very happy to have been able to do it,” Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald said after the match.
“How wonderful would it have been if the game could have been played in Sydney?
“But having said that, I’m just so happy that with the conditions in NSW at the moment and the uncertainty that everyone’s living with, I’m glad that we are able to achieve it and we can have an all NSW Grand Final and I hope bring a bit of joy to some of the people down there.”
Meanwhile, at 3.20pm on Saturday, the GWS Giants and Sydney Swans will write another chapter in a storied AFL Finals history when they face-off in a blockbuster Elimination Final in Launceston, Tasmania.
GWS’ 14-point win over Carlton last Saturday night confirmed Leon Cameron’s men would finish seventh on the ladder, locking in the third Sydney Derby of the year.
Saturday afternoon’s match will be the third post-season clash between the Giants and Swans since 2016.
The Giants have won both Finals matches between the clubs, with the winner out of this Saturday afternoon’s contest to square off against the loser of tonight’s Qualifying Final between Port Adelaide and Geelong.
“It’s a unique situation to play the Swans again in a Final. They are always tight tussles with the Swans and when it’s Finals the stakes are up again,” Giants star Toby Greene said on Monday.
“It will be a great game, they’re in good form and we’ve come in with some wins as well.
“I’m sure it would’ve been really good to have the game in Sydney, but that was never in the equation. It will be great down in Tassie; I don’t think we’ve played in Launceston for a while.”
So, consider gaffer taping your hand to the TV remote or perhaps fire up your second screen because you won’t want to miss a minute of the action Saturday afternoon.
Nathan Taylor is the Weekender’s Deputy Editor and Senior Sports Writer. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked at the Weekender for a decade.
