September is hailed as the most wonderful time of the year in the AFL, yet in the first week of finals, the majority of the contests were over long before the final siren sounded.

Four games were served up in week one, and it was left to Sydney to provide a single main course worthy of finals status. Geelong brutally took apart Port Adelaide by 84 points, Hawthorn comfortably quelled the Bulldogs by 37 points and Brisbane led Carlton by a remarkable 60-0 late in the second quarter, before moving down the gears to win by a cool 28 points.

At the SCG on Saturday the contrast was stark. A six-point thriller played out between two intense rivals showcased everything good about the game. In 2016, the Giants came within six points of beating the Bulldogs in their preliminary final to join the Swans in the grand final.

Eight years on, an all-Sydney grand final has never been more needed. Here’s why.

Despite growing up in the same household, siblings often have directly opposite personalities which ultimately leads to division and tension. Sitting at the same dinner table together becomes difficult.

The Giants must do things differently to the Swans. They do not have the benefit of years of history and tirelessly spread the gospel of AFL in a market dominated by generations of rugby league, rugby union and soccer fans.

Toby Greene and the Giants have had to do things differently to their well-heeled city rivals.Credit: AFL Photos

On the field, the Giants have built up one of the........

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