With the GIANTS playing their 150^th AFL game on Saturday against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, we’ve taken a look through our archives to find some of the best photos from 12 of the club’s most memorable games. 

Round 1, 2012 – The First of Many 

The GIANTS entered the AFL with a Sydney Derby clash at ANZ Stadium on Saturday, March 24 at 7.20pm. Callan Ward kicked the club’s first goal as 17 GIANTS made their AFL debut. The GIANTS lost by 63 points but the result didn’t matter, the GIANTS had arrived.

Round 7, 2012 – The First Win

After six consecutive losses the GIANTS broke through for the first win in their history against the Gold Coast Suns at UNSW Canberra Oval. After trailing the Suns by 13 points at half time the young GIANTS fought back, keeping the Suns goaless in the final term, while slamming on five goals of their own. Jonathon Giles was the hero, kicking three goals, collecting 21 disposals and winning 13 hitouts on his way to three Brownlow Medal votes. 

Round 19, 2012 - Sheedy’s 1,000th

Legendary coach Kevin Sheedy was celebrating his 1000th game as player/coach as the GIANTS took on Port Adelaide at Spotless Stadium. The young GIANTS did their coach proud with a solid 34 point win over the Power. The celebrations were doubled by the fact that the win was the GIANTS’ first at Spotless Stadium.

Round 1, 2014 – ‘When Lightning Strikes’

To call the GIANTS’ first Sydney Derby win ‘memorable’ is an understatement. Not only did the GIANTS win in round one for the first time, but they defeated their crosstown rivals the Swans for the first time. The match was played in torrid conditions, with lighting strikes over the ground bringing the game to a halt during the second term. After the match re-started, the GIANTS got on top with four Jeremy Cameron goals helping them to a 32 point win. The game was also significant for Phil Davis, with the courageous co-captain needing to undergo two operations on a lacerated kidney he suffered from an innocuous knock during the game. It was also the perfect start to the senior coaching career of Leon Cameron, who took over the reins as head coach from the legendary Kevin Sheedy.

Round 13, 2014 – First Interstate Win

Heading into their Saturday night clash with the Brisbane Lions in round 13, 2014, the GIANTS had never won away from home. That all changed they led from start to finish to record a memorable 45 point win over the Lions. The GIANTS kicked 19 goals, with Jeremy Cameron kicking four and Jonny Patton three. Co-captain Callan Ward collected three Brownlow Medal votes for his 31-disposal, seven-tackle performance, while Lachie Whitfield (32 disposals and a goal) and Tom Scully (30 disposals and a goal) ran riot in the midfield.

Round 12, 2016 – 100th Game 

It was an incredible night at Spotless Stadium as the GIANTS celebrated their 100th AFL game in Sydney Derby X. A then-record crowd of 21,541 gathered to watch the GIANTS post a memorable 42 point win over the Swans. Toby Greene kicked four goals, while Callan Ward won the Brett Kirk Medal as best on ground. But there was one moment at three-quarter time that has a special place in the GIANTS’ history. Member Paul Waterhouse was taking part in the Toyo Tires Kick for Cash and managed to kick a football 40 metres into a stack of Toyo Tires, winning himself $100,000. The crowd and a few GIANTS in the three-quarter time huddle went ballistic as Paul soaked up the cheers after a life-changing kick. 

Qualifying Final, 2016 – The First Final 

In front of a crowd of 60,222, the GIANTS stunned the Swans, the 2016 minor premiers, in the first Sydney Derby Final and the GIANTS’ first-ever final. Jeremy Cameron kicked four goals, including three in the third quarter, as the GIANTS stormed to a 36 point win. Lachie Whitfield (27 disposals and a goal) and Stephen Coniglio (26 disposals and a goal) lit up the midfield, while Toby Greene kicked two goals and collected 20 disposals after being named in the All Australian side a week earlier. 

Preliminary Final, 2016 – One of the Great Finals 

While the GIANTS may not have got the result they desired in the first final at Spotless Stadium, the 2016 Preliminary Final goes down as one of the best finals in recent memory. The GIANTS were beaten by the Bulldogs in an epic tussle with a then-record crowd of 21,790 witnessing the Bulldogs winning through to just the third Grand Final in their history.

Round 6, 2017 – The First Friday Night 

The GIANTS’ first-ever Friday night fixture was one for the ages. The match at UNSW Canberra Oval was billed as the long-anticipated rematch between the two sides who clashed in one of the most memorable finals six months before. The match lived up to the hype as the GIANTS won a classic by two points, with Jeremy Cameron kicking four goals and Toby Greene and Jonny Patton bagging three each. 

Round 15, 2017 – The First Draw 

The GIANTS met Geelong at Spotless Stadium for a memorable clash. After scores were tied at quarter time, Geelong led for most of the Saturday evening match, before a Jonny Patton goal late in the game tied the scores. Five minutes of tough footy followed before a rushed behind put the GIANTS ahead. Another six minutes of end-to-end desperate footy followed before Tom Hawkins had the opportunity to win the game for the Cats with a kick after the siren. His shot sailed wide and went through for a behind, tying the scores at 10.8 (68) each. It was the GIANTS’ first draw after 126 games.

Preliminary Final, 2017 – The Biggest Game

The GIANTS headed to the MCG to take on Richmond for a place in the 2017 AFL Grand Final. 94,258 fans packed into the iconic stadium for the hotly-anticipated game. Harry Himmelberg had a breakout game kicking four goals, while Callan Ward was simply brilliant collecting 25 disposals and kicking three goals. The GIANTS battled hard but they couldn’t overcome the Tigers, who won by 36 points and booked their place in their first Grand Final since 1982. 

Round 11, 2018 – A Special Victory

The GIANTS had never beaten the Crows in Adelaide and, heading to the Adelaide Oval in round 11, they hadn’t won a game in a month. In an epic encounter, Zac Langdon, Jeremy Cameron and Ryan Griffen each kicked three goals, while Dylan Shiel collected 29 disposals as the GIANTS won by 16 points.

Notable Mentions

Round 21, 2014 vs Melbourne – First win at the MCG

Round 7, 2016 vs Fremantle – First win in Perth

Round 18, 2016 vs Port Adelaide – First win in Adelaide

Round 8, 2017 vs Collingwood – Steve Johnson’s last-minute winner

Round 9, 2017 vs Richmond – Jeremy Cameron’s last-minute winner