Whether allowing for old rivalries to be rekindled or new ones to be stoked, the finals firepit is always white hot.

Champion players and teams stamp their brands here, but for the vanquished, sometimes the burns can take a lifetime to soothe.

Ahead of the the temperature rising during the first week of the 2023 AFL Finals series, we turned the clock back to the last time each finals pairing faced off this late in the season.

3. St Kilda and GWS Giants - Never

While the Saints and Giants have never met this late into the season, the pair of sides with a premiership between them have enjoyed their share of tight contests.

Across the course of their 14-game rivalry, the men from Moorabbin and their counterparts from West of the Harbour Bridge have done battle in six fixtures decided by less than three goals.

Although in an off-Broadway timeslot and before the eyes of 7508 fans, St Kilda and GWS' most recent outing in Round 10 proved a see-sawing affair, with the Saints eventually running out 12 point winners.

Anything similar, or tighter, in their first September bout will be sure to have everyone on the edge of their seat.