In ordinary circumstances, Giants midfielder Tom Green is the most articulate of athletes, taking a keen interest in modern history in his spare time.

Less than an hour after Brisbane’s epic 44-point comeback, however, a speechless Green had no idea that his side had earned themselves an unwelcome distinction in the game’s record books. The Giants had just been on the wrong end of the equal second-biggest comeback win ever seen in AFL/VFL finals, behind Geelong’s recovery from a 47-point deficit in a preliminary final 93 years ago.

After a standout individual performance featuring 33 disposals and one goal, Green was blunt in his summation of what had happened to his side, especially set in the context of their six-point loss against the Swans the week before.

“Just a seriously wasted opportunity,” Green said. “Finishing top four, losing a qualifying final [to the Swans] by a goal, and then a semi by five points, having leads in both games. Yeah, a wasted opportunity, and we’ve cost ourselves.”

So how did a Giants team that was so fluent and fearless for so much of the game get pulled back by a Brisbane side that looked out of ideas and energy?

Harris Andrews and........

© The Age