AFL: GWS Giants can't take a trick as Manuka Oval lights fail early

They nearly had an AFL pre-season game against the Collingwood Magpies cut short at Manuka Oval as three of the six light towers failed to turn on in the first quarter.

It took some time for the new-look Giants to fire but they rammed home the advantage late in a 14.12 (96) to 5.6 (36) win over the Magpies on Thursday night.

It came six days after a practice match against the Sydney Swans was cut short early in the fourth quarter with the lights at Henson Park failing.

The last thing the AFL needed was a lighting issue after the Princes Park drama during Carlton's clash with St Kilda on Wednesday - but it came in the capital.

Word circulated the game would be called early as the lighting dimmed but they began to flicker on early in the second quarter - meaning the two sides wouldn't need to rely on a full moon.

Mark McVeigh took the Giants coaching reins from Leon Cameron for the night, joking an early finish would have been more than welcome.

"I got told it might get cancelled," McVeigh said.

"I was probably privately happy, I was going to get out of the hot seat early doors. It just would have been disappointing for everyone in Canberra because the facilities are so good, the ground looks so good, the boys were really pumped to play and great conditions.

"They got it right in the end which was pretty good. We had no lights last week and it nearly happened to us again this week."

Talk circulated that there would be no quarter time break in case the lights didn't come on, which would have given the players maximum playing time before natural light gave way.

It didn't eventuate but Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley never even suggested that was a possibility to his troops.

"There was a chance if it wasn't fixed that play was going to halted in the second quarter," Buckley said.

"We didn't communicate that to the players. We thought we'd let it play out and it played out okay."