The GWS Giants take Canberra to the AFL grand final

The Giants held on for a gutsy win against Collingwood at the MCG, booking the club's first trip to one of the biggest events in Australian sport.

It's a boost for the capital almost a decade after the ACT government signed a $23 million, 10-year deal to have the Giants make Canberra their second home.

There have been many critics of the terms of the deal, particularly given the per-year funding is much more than Canberra-based sides the Raiders and Brumbies get.

But there will now be a Canberra flavour in the AFL grand final, with the city's name stitched into the back of the Giants' jerseys.

The Giants, the AFL and the government have been in negotiations about extending the partnership and a new deal could be finalised as early as the end of the year.

It will thrust the spotlight back on the government's investment in AFL given both the Raiders and the Brumbies are negotiating their own stadium and funding arrangements.

So will a presence on grand final day make the multi-million dollar deal worthwhile? If they win the premiership there will certainly be some sort of premiership parade in the capital and support could grow further.

Battered Giants skipper Phil Davis was born in Canberra and Harry Himmelberg launched his AFL career after a stint at Eastlake.

The Giants, however, won't be the only Canberra link on the last Saturday in September. Former Daramalan College student and Queanbeyan Whites player Ivan Soldo will make his grand final debut for the Giants' opposition, the Richmond Tigers.

The Giants play three premiership games per season at Manuka Oval and have built a solid supporter base in the city, with crowd and membership numbers surging.

Almost 100,000 people will pack into the MCG for the grand final and millions more will watch on television when the Giants and Richmond take centre stage this week.

No one expected the Giants to make it that far after they lost a host of stars before the game, with Toby Greene, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitefield all ruled out.

But they produced one of the great preliminary final boilovers, toppling Collingwood and now chasing a maiden premiership.

Davis said the Giants, having lost two preliminary finals in previous years, deserved the victory in what had been a test of their character.

"I am just so proud of not only the players but also the club and our fans. Two years ago, there were 500 of them against the Richmond fans. But I think we are building something special," Davis said.

"That piece of play for a minute [final minute] - we are made of the right stuff and we can't wait to get here next Saturday."

The Giants led by 33 points in the final term when Jeremy Cameron booted his third of the match but the Magpies responded with the next four, including a controversial Josh Thomas goal that replays showed had been touched but was not over-ruled.

While Ben Reid rued a botched set shot with just over 11 minutes remaining, the Magpies kept pressing and when Thomas snapped his second of the term, Collingwood were within a goal. Minutes later, Chris Mayne marked and appeared to goal but a video replay confirmed the ball had been touched on the line. A snap by Taylor Adams then hit the post, and the Giants held on in the frantic final minutes when the ball was locked in the Magpies' attacking 50.

Zac Williams was superb in a new role in the midfield while the victory was particularly sweet for former Magpie, Heath Shaw.

The Giants, in only their eighth season, have taken the hard road through these finals, having avoided elimination against the Western Bulldogs and then beaten the Lions in Brisbane.

"We have come from the absolute bottom eight and we deserve it. We are pretty excited about what we can do next week," Davis said.

The Giants will have match-winning forward Greene back from suspension while star running defender Whitfield will hope to return, having had his appendix removed on Wednesday.