WHAT HAPPENED IN THE AFL SEMI-FINALS:

RESULTS

* Geelong 13.10 (88) bt West Coast 10.8 (68).

* GWS 12.11 (83) bt Brisbane 11.14 (80).

THEY SAID IT: “He’s a gentle soul, a lovely man … We just throw our arms around him at the moment.” West Coast coach Adam Simpson on Willie Rioli, whose ban in relation to a drugs test rocked the Eagles two days before their loss.

MAN OF WEEK ONE: Brisbane veteran Luke Hodge, who retired immediately after he was among their best players in the epic loss to GWS. The four-time Hawthorn premiership player, one of only three men to win the Norm Smith Medal twice, bows out as an all-time great.

KEY MOMENT: Time for the Giants’ little man. With less than three minutes left, 170cm forward Brent Daniels pounced on a loose ball and kicked a superb running goal that was the match winner.

TALKING POINT: Geelong rebounded brilliantly after a poor qualifying final. But how the Eagles were left ruing that listless round-23 loss at home to Hawthorn. While Rioli’s ban was also a hammer blow, dropping out of the top four ultimately meant the reigning premiers would not go back-to-back.

STATS THAT MATTER: In Brisbane’s two losing finals, they had more scoring shots than their opposition. It comes down to one word – poise.

TRIBUNAL WATCH: GWS and Geelong are certain to take two massive cases to the tribunal. Cats key forward Tom Hawkins will be up on a striking charge and GWS midfield ace Toby Greene will front the tribunal for the second week in a row. His charge is making unnecessary or unreasonable contact to the eye region of Lachie Neale. At the moment, Hawkins and Greene are banned for one game, ruling them out of the preliminary finals, so this is huge.

KEY INJURIES: Lachie Whitfield (GWS back/ribs).

WHAT’S NEXT: Richmond host Geelong in a Friday night preliminary final at the MCG. Collingwood clash with GWS in a Saturday twilight prelim.