Gisborne relished the wet and slippery conditions at the QEO, with the 63-point margin Golden Square's heaviest semi-final loss since the 2002 second semi-final when Gisborne won by 79 points.

Gisborne had only kicked four and 10 goals in their respective two home and away matches against Square this year, but on Sunday, despite the wet track, they slammed home 16 goals in an impressive 16.10 (106) to 5.13 (43) win.

"We learned a lot from last week (qualifying final loss to Eaglehawk) about executing what we want to do,'' Gisborne coach Clinton Young said.

"I was really happy with the way we approached this game and we made a good start which was important.

"The second and third quarters were an arm-wrestle and I thought we toughed them out really well.

"To go on with it the way we did was really pleasing."

The game was pretty much done at quarter-time.

Gisborne dominated through the middle of the ground and its forwards made the most of some tough chances in the slippery conditions.

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On a day where it looked like eight to 10 goals would be enough to win, the visitors kicked six goals in the first term to open up a 30-point lead.

The intensity difference between the two sides was summed up perfectly by Gisborne's fourth goal of the game.

Teenager Seb Bell-Bartels produced a desperate smother across half-back, followed up with a crucial toe poke off the ground and the ball finished with Pat McKenna, who snapped the second of his five goals for the game.

Square veteran Brad Eaton started on McKenna, but the move was made midway through the third term when McKenna kicked his third.

Liam Barrett, who had played well on McKenna earlier in the season, started in the midfield but was swung back onto the Gisborne star.

Barrett's absence from the midfield, along with the suspended Adam Baird, left Square undermanned in the middle and the Gisborne on-ballers proved too good.

Casey Summerfield played his best game of the season, Scott Walsh was strong on the wing, Nick Doolan did plenty of solid work at the stoppages and Brad Bernacki showed some touches of class in the wet.

Importantly, Summerfield, Walsh, Bernacki and Matt Goodyear all hit the scoreboard as well.

"We kept grinding away and in wet weather footy sometimes it's just about getting the ball forward and positioning,'' Young said.

"With the injuries we have we had a small forward line and maybe that worked in our favour."

One of the highlights for Gisborne came in the third quarter when defender Tim Walsh roamed forward and slotted a goal from 60m out in the Rifle Brigade Hotel forward pocket.

One of Gisborne's biggest problems in the qualifying final loss to Eaglehawk was the lack of four-quarter contributors.

That wasn't the case on Sunday. Everyone played their role in a confidence-boosting win ahead of another crack at Eaglehawk in the preliminary final.

"I was really pleased with a lot of contributors and we carry some momentum into next week,'' Young said.

"We've set ourselves up for this moment all season, so it's exciting for the group."

Gisborne will be without key forward Jaidyn Owen (knee) for the remainder of the finals, while midfielder Ethan Minns limped off in the second quarter on Sunday with a knee injury.

Minns will undergo further tests on his injured knee early this week.

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