GWS Giants left to rue Brent Daniels’ nightmare ‘brain fade’ in thrilling loss to Brisbane

GWS Giants star Brent Daniels will have nightmares for six months after a pivotal error during the heart-stopping loss to Brisbane on Saturday night.

The Giants’ season was ended in brutal circumstances when they coughed up a 44-point lead to lose to the Lions by five points.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Brent Daniels’ costly miss.

Joe Daniher kicked the final two goals of the game to cap the miraculous comeback.

But a moment early in the last quarter will haunt Daniels and the Giants.

Leading by 18 points, the Giants kicked forward and won a free kick 10m out directly in front.

The ball spilled to the back of a pack and Daniels tried to soccer through a goal, but his point-blank effort missed.

Given he took the shot, advantage was correctly paid and it left GWS with just a point instead of a certain goal if he let his teammate take the free kick.

“Not sure what he was thinking there,” Luke Darcy said in commentary.

“It was an error and a brain fade, and now the Lions have to make the most of it,” Dale Thomas added.

And make the most of it is precisely what the Lions did.

From that point on, the Giants managed only one more point as the Lions kicked the final four goals to steal an incredible victory.

The Lions will play Geelong in a preliminary final at the MCG, while the Giants’ campaign for a maiden premiership this year ends.

With Lachie Neale battling a Toby Bedford tag, Jarrod Berry (27 disposals) and Will Ashcroft (27) stood up in the midfield.

Dayne Zorko (two goals, 25 disposals) also starred, while Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann kicked two alongside Daniher’s haul of four.

Neale finished with 19 disposals and seven clearances, after Bedford held the two-time Brownlow medallist to four touches and three clearances at quarter-time.

Jesse Hogan was outstanding for GWS and kicked five goals, while Tom Green (33 possessions) worked desperately to withstand the challenge.

Bedford, returning to action after missing out on their qualifying-final loss with a calf complaint, made his presence known immediately.

The highly rated Giants tagger, pulling off a one-two with midfielder Josh Kelly, burnt through the corridor to set up Aaron Cadman for the first goal of the match.

Daniher got the better of Taylor for Brisbane’s opener, before Giants skipper Toby Greene retorted in brilliant fashion to kickstart a four-goal chain.

The Lions key forward then cut into the 21-point deficit with his second goal after Isaac Cumming was caught holding the ball just in front of goal, with 10 points the difference at quarter-time.

Giants midfield bull Stephen Coniglio was subbed out of the match with a cheekbone injury after copping a heavy blow to the head as Harris Andrews attempted to stop Cadman taking a mark.

Xavier O’Halloran joined the fray in the second term to replace Coniglio as the Giants rebuilt their 21-point lead.

A bad handpass from Neale landed in the hands of Kieren Briggs and the GWS ruck slotted a rare goal to open the third term.

The hosts broke out to a game-high 44-point lead, before the Lions put together five unanswered goals in less than eight minutes to begin their fightback.

- With AAP