The last time GWS and Brisbane - and the only occasion - met in a final was in 2019, when the rampaging Giants claimed the victory by three points.
That fateful evening was part of the Giants' incredible run to their first and solitary grand final appearance that ended in heartbreak.
And like the feeling bestowed upon the AFL's newest team by Richmond on the last Saturday in September, GWS thrust that same feeling a fortnight earlier to the inexperienced Lions at the Gabba.
It was Chris Fagan's third season in charge, and he stormed the club from 15th to second in 12 months, a precursor for the next six seasons.
However, the Lions were unable to make most of their home-ground advantage, ultimately going out in straight sets to the 2019 grand finalists.
But not without their chances.
In the semi-final against GWS, a game that is remembered and revered for all its twists and turns, Brisbane had its opportunities.
And if it wasn't for some Brent Daniels heroics, the story could be largely different.
A four-goal blitz to the visitors opened up a 26-point lead before a five-goal turnaround from the hosts saw the Lions hold the advantage at the first change.
At the time, GWS possessed gun forwards Jeremy Cameron and Jeremy Finlayson, who proved to be a handful while experienced pairing Daniel Rich and Luke Hodge still graced the AFL field.
A fiery clash enveloped the buzzing Gabba, resulting in 53 free kicks (31-22), plenty off-of-ball hits, two suspensions (and in the modern game, would've seen more) and a one-week suspension, to, you guessed it, Toby Greene.
Greene was targeted by the Match Review Officer (MRO) for unnecessary contact to Lachie Neale's face and ultimately failed to overturn the sanction at the Tribunal, missing the preliminary final against Collingwood.
The Lions led for a brief period late in the first term, early in the second and snatched the lead twice in the final quarter but to no avail.
The Big, Big, Sound were heroic in their performance on the road, which was symbolic of Daniels' match-winning goal.
Remember when Brent Daniels kicked the match winner against the Lions in the 2019 semi-final?
Get your tickets here: https://t.co/z8xceM2j3i pic.twitter.com/gB1XhihKvm
— AFL (@AFL) September 11, 2024
Fast forward five years, and that same fixture has fortunately graced fans once again.
The Giants are coming off an emotionally-charged narrow defeat from the hands of big brother, Sydney, while it is hard to get a read on Brisbane's elimination final victory over Carlton, who were proven to be banged up by the six inclusions on the night.
In the two meetings in 2024, GWS claimed both scalps, albeit the most recent encounter should have gone to the Lions if it wasn't for their unforgivable inaccuracy in front of the big sticks, a problem that is quickly becoming a determining factor.
But where do the narratives lie?
Both clubs have been one of the last two teams standing in recent times and yet have failed when it mattered most.
Both clubs have had long periods of sustained success, spanning from 2016 for the Giants and 2019 for the Lions, with minor blips for the AFL's youngest team.
A loss for the Giants would spell a straight-sets exit and more heartbreak after a one-point preliminary final loss to Collingwood last year.
If a defeat was on the cards, would that question the club's mental fortitude? The ability to make the moments matter?
How about the Lions, who have won the most games since the beginning of the 2019 season, ahead of Geelong, Melbourne, Richmond and the Pies, and yet have no silverware to show for it?
Could a loss mean that Fagan isn't the man to take Brisbane to the promised land?
Would it be the biggest waste of a talented list the competition has ever seen?
All these questions will be answered in due course.
And we can't wait.
