GWS coach Leon Cameron has dismissed as irrelevant the Giants’ greater AFL finals experience over Brisbane and their strong record at the Gabba.
Cameron says they must improve by five per cent on their performance against Western Bulldogs last weekend to win a war of attrition on Saturday.
The Giants are in their fourth straight finals campaign – having won at least one post-season match in each of those years – while Brisbane are contesting finals for the first time in a decade and coming off a loss to Richmond last weekend.
GWS have won four straight at the Gabba, where they haven’t lost for six years, and their 4-2 overall record at the ground is their best at any interstate venue.
“We play the ground pretty well, but it’s a whole new different team compared to the Brisbane of a few years ago,” Cameron said on Wednesday.
“They were young and they were developing when Fages (coach Chris Fagan) took over three years ago and now they are men.
“Three years on they are absolutely the real deal.
“People are just talking about our ferocity and attack on the footy at the weekend, but Brisbane equally have been outstanding in the contest.
“You’re going to get two teams that are just going to be in a war of attrition and it’s the last man standing over 120 minutes of footy.”
Cameron said he learnt a lot from the Lions’ 20-point win over GWS in Sydney in round 16, the only time the teams have met this year.
“They smacked us up and beat us up pretty easily in terms of the contest,” Cameron said.
“We’re under no illusions it’s going to be be an arm wrestle again.”
While forward Toby Greene and Harry Himmelberg were both charged and fined for incidents last weekend, Cameron won’t ask his players to tone down their aggression on Saturday.
“There’s going to be 44 players playing on the edge on the weekend, because it’s a cut-throat final,” Cameron said.
“We’re looking forward to absorbing the pressure they are going to throw at us and equally we want to throw at them.
“They are favourites for a reason because they finished second on the ladder and they are a bloody good team, so we’re under no illusions that we probably up the ante even more and play five per cent better than on the weekend to knock off Brisbane at the Gabba.”
Cameron said experienced utility Adam Tomlinson who was dropped last week is one of a number of contenders to replaced the injured Brett Deledio.