Saturday’s AFL Finals 2017 match is between GWS Giants and West Coast Eagles. The opening bounce is set to commence at 19:50 local time with the game to be played at Simmons Stadium. The home team GWS Giants are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between GWS Giants and West Coast Eagles.
When: 19:50 | Saturday 16/09/2017
Where: Simmons Stadium
Watch: Channel 7, Fox Footy or ? Watch Online for FREE HERE on your? or ?.
Preview:
The Giants were made to look second-rate in their qualifying final loss to Adelaide, while the Eagles were on cloud nine after their stunning extra-time elimination final win over Port Adelaide. GWS have had two extra days to rest and prepare than West Coast, who will need to overcome back-to-back road trips to advance to a preliminary final against Richmond. Leon Cameron must also overcome the losses of key personnel with Jeremy Cameron (hamstring) and Shane Mumford (foot) done for the year. The coach will be hoping recalled veteran Steve Johnson can help give his forward line some spark. Eagles coach Adam Simpson resisted the temptation to name star ruckman Nic Naitanui for his first game since suffering a serious knee injury last season.
Key: Can West Coast’s Dad’s Army of Matt Priddis, Sam Mitchell and Drew Petrie fire again? All three retiring veterans turned back the clock with pivotal performances in their win over the Power. Their ability to recover from the torrid extra-time affair and a gruelling travel schedule will be telling.
Tip: Giants by 18 points.
Odds:
OFFER: Deposit $50 BET with $200 via this link – Ends Soon!
Tip: GWS Giants at $1.44
Value BET: First Goal Scorer – Toby Greene at $7.50
More Info:
Finals Head to head: Giants 0 Eagles 0
Last final: First finals meeting
Tab Sportsbet: Giants $1.45 Eagles $2.85
William Hill: Giants $1.44 Eagles $2.80
Teams:
GIANTS 
B: N.Haynes, A.Corr, Z.Williams
HB: H.Shaw, P.Davis, L.Whitfield
C: N.Wilson, J.Kelly, T.Scully
HF: J.Hopper, J.Patton, T.Taranto
F: M.de Boer, H.Himmelberg, T.Greene
FOLL: R.Lobb, S.Coniglio, C.Ward
I/C: A.Tomlinson, D.Shiel, S.Johnson, B.Deledio
EMG: D.Simpson, H.Perryman, S.Reid
IN: S.Johnson, T.Taranto
OUT: S.Mumford (foot), J.Cameron (hamstring)
EAGLES 
B: T.Barrass, E.Mackenzie, B.Sheppard
HB: E.Yeo, J.McGovern, S.Hurn
C: L.Jetta, M.Priddis, A.Gaff
HF: J.Redden, J.Darling, D.Sheed
F: M.LeCras, J.Kennedy, J.Cripps
FOLL: N.Vardy, S.Mitchell, L.Shuey
I/C: S.Wellingham, L.Duggan, D.Petrie, M.Hutchings
EMG: C.Masten, L.Partington, W.Schofield
IN: S.Wellingham
OUT: L.Partington (omitted)
AFL News:
Timing is everything, in parenthood as in the AFL.
Sydney veteran Jarrad McVeigh has enjoyed the ideal start to a big week, with his wife Clementine giving birth to their third daughter Florence.
McVeigh reports that everyone is doing well and they made sure Florence arrived early in the week, well before Friday night’s MCG semi-final against Geelong.
“It came on Tuesday, so I was always going (to play),” McVeigh said.
“We tried to put a few things in place — she was actually due next Monday.
“We kind of sped things up a little bit.”
Friday night will be his 300th game, continuing a remarkable turnaround for McVeigh’s season.
Again, the 32-year-old has timed his run perfectly.
Injury meant McVeigh only managed two games until round 14, but the former Swans captain has played every game since.
He has also signed a one-year contract extension, killing off speculation about his future.
Once McVeigh retires, he will stay at the Swans in a coaching role.
He is the fourth Swan to reach 300, after former teammates Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton and Michael O’Loughlin, and feels indebted to the club.
“It means the world. To come out of school and be drafted and get to stay home, first and foremost, was fantastic,” he said of playing his whole career at Sydney.
“I looked at the best trainers and the best players and just lived in their pockets the whole time.
“Paul Williams, Stuart Maxfield, Kirky, Goodsey and Barry Hall. I owe a lot of that to those guys.
“I owe a lot of it to those guys, for teaching me the right way, and hopefully I’m doing that for a lot of the young players now.
“Other than my family, they’ve taught me everything I know.”
But McVeigh has also been through a lot, especially with his family.
Their first child, Luella, died only four weeks after she was born in 2011.
The next year, Clementine gave birth to Lolita-Luella and McVeigh famously cradled their baby in his arms on the MCG after Sydney won the premiership.
