Fearless Giants ready for Lions in AFL semi-final

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Fearless Giants ready for Lions in AFL semi-final

Greater Western Sydney are not afraid of taking the long road to a maiden AFL premiership.

And neither do Adam Kingsley’s men ***** the Brisbane Lions, whom they face in a knockout semi-final at Engie Stadium on Saturday night.

Win, and they will progress to a preliminary final against Geelong.

GWS swingman Lachlan Keeffe insists his team will simply get on with the task at hand rather than think about the possibility of a straight-sets finals exit.

“It doesn’t scare us. It’s not an intimidating factor for us,” Keeffe told AAP.

“Winning the qualifying final probably gives you a bit more of an advantage, but as we showed last year there’s no real fuss from us.

“These are the cards we’ve been dealt or dealt ourselves in a way, so what are you going to do about it?

“That’s just what you got to do so there’s no trepidation. We’re not scared. We’ve just got to put our best foot forward.”

The Giants are likely to start as narrow favourites when they host Brisbane at their Sydney Olympic Park home for the first time in four years.

Brisbane haven’t played in western Sydney since 2020 and the clubs have two wins each from four matches at the venue.

Their last six games have been split between the Gabba and the Giants’ second home at Manuka Oval in Canberra.

The teams have only met once in finals, with GWS defeating Brisbane by three points in their 2019 semi-final at the Gabba.

GWS won their most recent contest in round 22, kicking six goals to one in the last quarter to pull off a comeback victory, having trailed by as much as 30 points early in the match.

Keeffe, who is used to doing it tough, was called up for that match to play his first game of the year when preferred ruck Kieren Briggs was managed out with a sore shoulder.

Handed a one-year contract extension after playing 14 games last season, the 34-year-old tall had been overlooked in 2024 in favour of forward Jake Riccardi and Aaron Cadman.

But he has held onto his spot since, popping up as a key defender, a third tall forward or as a back-up ruckman, wherever Kingsley needs him.

“I’m definitely under no illusions that I’m not a Tom Green of the team or a Jesse Hogan of the team,” Keeffe said.

“It always helps when match committee or the coaches are backing you in, but I have full ****** in my own ability to be able to play whatever role they’re asking me.

“The conversations I had with Kingsley from pretty much at the end of last year was that (playing as a utility) would be the case.

“My versatility is one of my strengths so, (the message has been) ‘play to your strengths, just be ready if we need you’.

“I’ve done that for my whole career anyway so it’s nothing really new.”

GWS have made one change for the semi-final with Toby McMullin dropped to make way for tagger Toby Bedford.

Meanwhile, defender Jack Payne has been named for an unchanged Brisbane side despite concerns over a knee injury.

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