<p>Only six teams remain in the hunt for this year’s premiership. And two of the sides that were highly fancied to go far go head-to-head on Saturday night in a do-or-die semi-final.</p> <p>The Giants and the Lions will meet for the third time this year, remarkably, at a third different venue!</p> <p>The Giants will be looking to bounce back swiftly after surrendering their lead in the last minute to their cross-town rivals in one of the best finals matches we've seen in a long time.</p> <p>The Lions, but for maybe a couple of moments that would have raised a sweat in the third quarter, won their way through to the second week pretty much stress-free after accounting for Carlton at the Gabba.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>GWS Giants vs Brisbane Lions Preview</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>As mentioned above, this will be the third time the Giants and the Lions will play each other this season, with the Giants winning on both occasions.</p> <p>The Giants blew the Lions off the park in their first meeting in Canberra on ANZAC Day while only 3 games ago, the Giants came storming back to run over the top of the Lions up at the Gabba.</p> <p>On both occasions, Tom Green went absolutely berserk, racking up heaps of the footy (37 &amp; 28 disposals respectively), and small forward Darcy Jones was among the goals with two in each game.</p> <p>As has been the theme with the Lions all season, they refused to kick straight in both of these games which cost themselves at least one of the matchups.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Players to Watch</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Tom Green</h3> <p>He’s already had two big games against the Lions this year, and it appears as if Tom Green wants to go back for thirds.</p> <p>He’d be odds on to do it too after a big Qualifying Final against the Swans, topping the possession count yet again for his team. You’d think he’d cop the Josh Dunkley matchup this week as the Lions would be desperately trying to quell his influence.</p> <p>He rates elite for disposals and clearances and above average for kicks (which is pretty good for an inside bull). The Giants will need his nice patch of form to continue if they want to progress.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Jesse Hogan</h3> <p>Jesse Hogan has had some big nights already in 2024. Franked by a Coleman Medal and a maiden All-Australian berth.</p> <p>He had a really good day the last time he met the Lions, kicking three goals and he could be setting himself for another big one on Saturday night on his home deck.</p> <p>Adding to the things in Jesse’s favour, while he will probably get the Harris Andrews direct matchup, he will sense an advantage with Andrews’ defensive partner Jack Payne in doubt, or likely to play hobbled.</p> <p>He’s had a big role to play all year as Hogan. His young partner in crime Aaron Cadman breaking out with three goals of his own in the Qualifying Final last week, suggests that the Lions might be giving him some extra attention. Which could play into the big fella’s hands.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Dayne Zorko</h3> <p>Maybe if Carlton thought about playing someone on Zorko before the scoreboard was beyond repair, Saturday night would have been more of an interesting game.</p> <p>Zorko, fresh off winning his second All-Australian blazer, and becoming the oldest player to ever be crowned All-Australian, did as he pleased in the first half against the Blues as he set up and damaged from half-back at will.</p> <p>He’ll have another big role to play on Saturday night, setting up and pulling the strings from the back half.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>GWS Giants vs Brisbane Lions – Who Will Win?</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Expect this one to be a contrast of styles - chaos vs control.</p> <p>The Giants are a handball and link-up team whereas the Lions like to play the more precise kicking game and pierce their way through the opposition.</p> <p>The Lions will look to build it all up from the back where the Giants will rely on their counterattack and getting the tsunami in action, which gets their turnover game into action.</p> <p>The Giants showed their immense pressure last week against the Swans, ratcheting it up to 204 pressure points – their second-best return of the season. This, along with their big bodies in the midfield can overwhelm the Lions in the contest.</p> <p>When they met most recently up at the Gabba, the longer the game went on, the more the Giants wore the Lions down with their pressure game which ultimately, was a factor in them running over the top and winning comfortably.</p> <p>The Giants showed their immense pressure last week against the Swans, ratcheting it up to 204 pressure points – their second-best return of the season. This, along with their big bodies in the midfield can overwhelm the Lions in the contest.</p> <p>With Lachie Neale likely to be closely monitored by a returning Toby Bedford, the onus will be on the likes of Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage, and Jarrod Berry to match it against Green, Callaghan, and Coniglio.</p> <p>For the Lions, their biggest RFI from last week's walkover over the Blues is their goal kicking as it has been all year.</p> <p>The Lions have the firepower to expose the Giants if they again fail to play a full four quarters – it will come down to how they kick for goal.</p> <p><strong>Prediction:</strong> Giants by 16 points</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> Kai Lohman (Brisbane) anytime goal</p>