The Roar enjoyed a 2-0 first leg advantage, but trailed 2-0 at half-time on Saturday night against the Mariners, before getting the job done in the second stanza.

"I had a chat to them at half-time. I said to the boys you've got to respect the game. Never get too far ahead of yourself. If you don't it'll slap you in the face and we got slapped in the face in the first 45. I thought they responded magnificently," Postecoglou told Fox Sports after the game.

Roar skipper Matt McKay said Postecoglou was clam at half-time but got the message across.

"He told us what we had to do, he said it wasn't good enough and to go out there and do what we've been doing all season," McKay said.

"Full credit to him and we turned it around in the second-half with a couple of good finishes, but we were under a lot of pressure there."

Postecoglou continued: "It had a bit of everything. Central Coast were magnificent, they took the game to us.

"We got sucker punched with the goals but we dug deep, it wasn't pretty. We've shown that resilience time and time again this year."

"It was funny old game tonight. Everyone was a little bit anxious about tonight. Our big goal for the season was to have the grand final here.

"Going into the game we were just a little bit tense and I think it got to a few of the boys out there."

Postecoglou said he didn't think the scare the Mariners gave the Roar was an important reminder for his players.

"I don't think we need a rattle-up. We're a pretty proud bunch. We're trying to create something special and we want to protect that. We don't need a rattle-up, we've been good all year. Full credit to Central Coast, they took the game to us, but we responded."

McKay added: "We deserved it after this season. We've got plenty of preparation for this next two weeks to be ready for it.

"It'll be incredible. It's going to be a packed house, it's going to be great. The biggest club football game in Australia I reckon."

Goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos said: "We showed great determination and character to come back in front of this great crowd. I think it would've been an injustice if we didn't have the Grand Final here in Brisbane."