Where and When: Saturday, May 8 at 1:45pm, GIANTS Stadium

Last time they met: It was a thriller the last time these two sides met in Friday night footy in the midst of the festival of football that was the back half of the 2020 season. It was round 10 and Xavier O’Halloran made his long-awaited debut but after a dour first quarter where neither team scored a goal, it was a Bomber blitz in the second and by early in the third term Essendon were out to a 29-point lead. But thanks to an incredible defensive performance from Nick Haynes and Tim Taranto leading the way in the middle, the GIANTS kicked six straight goals to run out four-point winners.

TV and Online: Saturday’s match will be shown live on Channel 7 in NSW and the ACT and on Fox Footy nationally from 1:30pm.

What it means for the GIANTS: After three wins in four weeks, the GIANTS will be keen to keep their good form rolling. Back at home for the first time since round one, the GIANTS will be looking to use the home crowd to their advantage. It was a clinical midfield performance by the GIANTS against the Crows in round seven and one of the best of the season. Lachie Whitfield and Jesse Hogan made an instant impact in their first games of the season and will be relishing the opportunity to run out in front of the Orange Army for the first time in 2021.

Where’s the opposition at: The Bombers come into round eight with two wins for the season - a comprehensive victory against St Kilda and a nice win over the Magpies. They’ve also had narrow losses to the Hawks and Swans. They’re going off a 16-point loss to the Blues last round which was a shootout with Carlton kicking 19 goals and the Bombers 16. This week they celebrate Zach Merrett’s 150th game.

The number: 172. Saturday’s match will see inaugural co-captain, courageous midfielder and all-round good guy Callan Ward take over the GIANTS’ games record from Jeremy Cameron (171 games). Ward has played 231 games across his career, beginning at the Western Bulldogs before moving to the GIANTS.

In the mix: The GIANTS will have to make at least two forced changes with Sam Reid (hamstring) and Brent Daniels (hamstring) already ruled out for this week while medical sub Matt Buntine is also unavailable after suffering a concussion. Daniel Lloyd is available for selection after a quad injury suffered ahead of round one while youngsters Tanner Bruhn and Conor Stone impressed at VFL level last week. Jake Riccardi was best on ground in that game in a new role at half-back, picking up 40 touches and 19 marks.

The GIANTS have hung on in a two-point thriller over Essendon to claim its fourth victory in the past five matches.

The brave Bombers kicked five of the first six goals in the final term and had the momentum until Jacob Hopper looked to have kicked the sealer for the GIANTS when he pushed the margin back out to eight points with 25 seconds remaining.

But the Bombers weren't done with yet, as they won the ball from the centre bounce and got it forward for Kyle Langford to snap truly with four seconds left on the clock. 

The Bombers midfield won the clearance again at the final bounce, but the siren sounded as the ball was in the air and heading inside 50, leaving the GIANTS to claim the 16.11 (107) to 16.9 (105) victory.

The loss also consigned the Bombers to their third loss by under a goal so far this season.

Cale Hooker could've been awarded a free kick inside 50 before what turned out to be the sealer from Hopper when the Bombers tall went to mark on the lead and was nudged under the ball.

But the umpire called play on and Hooker missed out on having a shot to put his team in front. 

The GIANTS led for all but the first 90 seconds of the match at GIANTS Stadium, and at times looked set to run away with the game especially when they got out to a 31-point lead in the first term.

GIANTS stand-in skipper Toby Greene again led from the front, kicking two goals for the match and having plenty of impact outside the forward 50 as he collected 21 disposals.

Tim Taranto (29 touches, one goal, eight tackles) and Josh Kelly (30 and two) stood up in the final term to help get the GIANTS over the line, Kelly's goal early in the quarter steadying his team as the Bombers had the momentum.

Jeremy Finlayson kicked three goals for the GIANTS but will be sweating on a report for his late and high hit on Zach Merrett in the first quarter.

Merrett, in his 150th game in red and black, was able to play out the match and was one of the best on ground as he picked up 37 touches (10 contested) and delivered 13 inside 50s. Darcy Parish continued his scintillating form since moving into the midfield, gathering 35 disposals (14 contested).

Jake Stringer started brightly, with four early touches, until he was seen grabbing at his leg in the first term. Stringer spent the next two quarters stationed deep in the Bombers' forward line but had little impact on the game and was subbed out for Matt Guelfi late in the third term.

With Stringer struggling and Coleman medal contender Hooker held relatively quiet, it was left to Langford (three goals), Peter Wright and Harry Jones (both two goals) to stand up in the Bombers' forward 50. 

Jones was especially important in the final term when his two goals kept his team in the game but it wasn’t quite enough for the Bombers.

Hat-trick of heart-stoppers

These evenly matched teams have now played three games in a row to be decided by under a goal. The GIANTS stormed to a 31-point lead then managed to hang on this time, but last year it was the Bombers that were the better team early before allowing the GIANTS back in to kick six in a row and claim the lead late in the game. A last-minute goal by Adam Saad wasn't enough to save the game. In 2019 it was Essendon's turn to snatch a last-minute victory, with Cale Hooker goaling with 30 seconds left to break the deadlock. Hooker might've been the hero again this time, but the umpire chose not to award a free kick to give him the chance to put the Bombers in front with a bit over a minute left on the clock. 

GIANTS            6.2       7.4       14.8      16.11   (107)
ESSENDON       2.2       5.7       10.7      16.9    (105)

GOALS

GIANTS: Finlayson 3, Sproule 2, Bruhn 2, Greene 2, Kelly 2, Himmelberg, Lloyd, Taranto, Hopper, Hill
Essendon: Langford 3, Wright 2, McDonald-Tipungwuti 2, Jones 2, Snelling 2, Hooker, Perkins, Cox, Redman, Guelfi 

BEST

GIANTS: Greene, Taranto, Kelly, Perryman, Green, Ward
Essendon: Merrett, Parish, Hind, Phillips, Langford, Heppell 

INJURIES

GIANTS: Nil
Essendon: Stringer (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES

GIANTS: Stone (unused)
Essendon: Guelfi (replaced Stringer)

Crowd: 8,526 at GIANTS Stadium