When and Where: Saturday August 6, 2.10pm, GIANTS Stadium

Gates will open at 10:25am this weekend as the GIANTS host Essendon in a VFL curtain-raiser from 10:35am. 

Last time they met: 

The GIANTS produced a stunning second-half comeback to not only steal victory from the Bombers, but also steal their spot inside the top eight in round 19 last year.

Essendon produced an excellent first half, taking a 16-point lead into half-time. But the GIANTS’ engine room got going in the second half, kicking six second-half goals while restricting the Bombers to one to run out 16-point winners 9.12 (66) to 7.11 (53) at Metricon Stadium.

Broadcast:

Saturday’s match will be shown live on the Seven Network including 7mate in NSW and the ACT as well as Fox Footy and Kayo nationally from 2pm. 
 
For the latest television and radio broadcast guide, click here. 

 

What it means for the GIANTS: 

With only three games remaining for the GIANTS this season, Saturday’s encounter with Essendon provides Mark McVeigh’s side another chance to get some things right, stay in the game for longer, and keep working towards building momentum for 2023.

Where’s the opposition at?

Essendon continued their strong late-season form with a convincing 48-point win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium last weekend. Jake Stringer finished with five majors as the Bombers steadily built on their strong opening quarter to claim a 17.12 (114) to 9.12 (66) win.

Player watch: 

Mark McVeigh was particularly pleased with Sam Taylor last weekend, who despite having three second half goals kicked on him by Lance Franklin, was clearly the GIANTS’ best player in Sydney Derby XXIV.

Taylor is averaging 9.5 intercept possessions, 8.3 spoils and 15.2 disposals this year, and is in line for his first All-Australian blazer.

In the mix: 

Young defender Jacob Wehr and utility Jarrod Brander have been sidelined after picking up injuries over the weekend. Meanwhile, both Matt Flynn (ankle) and Conor Stone (hamstring) are expected to return to the field this week if the pair pass fitness tests, with small forward Bobby Hill medically cleared to return to playing games after surgery for testicular cancer. Jake Stein, Lachlan Keeffe, Cam Fleeton, Will Shaw, Cooper Hamilton and Wade Derksen will be considered following strong form in the VFL. GIANTS captain Stephen Coniglio is also set to return after being a late out against the Swans last weekend.

GIANTS coach Mark McVeigh accused his players of "checking out" last week, and got the response he wanted on Saturday with a 27-point win over Essendon at GIANTS Stadium.

The GIANTS brought increased intensity from the outset - including a pre-game scuffle - with their 14.12 (96) to 10.9 (69) win earmarked by 53-44 tackles including 16-1 inside 50 tackles, and 42-25 one percenters for the game.

In a topsy turvy game, where both sides had two three-goal runs each in the first half, Essendon had hit the lead for the first time early in the third term after Matt Guelfi kicked the third of his four goals, before the GIANTS responded with a run of seven consecutive goals to pull away for victory.

Lachie Whitfield re-discovered his rebound and dash off half-back with a game-high 30 disposals for 549 metres gained and a fourth-quarter goal which sealed the win from Jayden Laverde's wayward central pass.

Former Rising Star winner Jesse Hogan was excellent up forward with a season-high four goals and 12 marks.

The victory snaps the GIANTS' four-game losing run, with their response from last weekend's Sydney Derby hammering likely enhancing McVeigh's case to win the job permanently, given his widely discussed public condemnation of his side.

The Bombers had come into the game as one of the league's in-form sides, with their 5-2 record from the past seven games only bettered by top-two pair Geelong and Collingwood over that stretch.

The influence of in-form onballer Zach Merrett, who had 38 disposals last round, was quelled by close marking from Harry Perryman, with the Dons star restricted to 19 touches. The impact of running defenders Nick Hind and Mason Redman were blunted too.

Darcy Parish returned from a four-game lay-off due to a calf issue to be Essendon's best with 28 disposals including a game-high 14 contested possessions.

The GIANTS got off to a flying start with the game's first three goals before Essendon responded with three of their own to narrow the gap to two points at the first break. The game followed a similar pattern in the second, with the GIANTS' pressure a highlight yet they only led by two points at half-time.

Early third term goals from Guelfi and Ben Hobbs put the Dons ahead by 10 points but the GIANTS were able to reassert control, having 53-37 inside 50s for the game, with Whitfield dominant while Hogan and Toby Greene, who kicked 2.2, were constant threats up forward.

McVeigh boosts his case for Giants gig

The GIANTS have been linked with a host of potential coaches - headlined by four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson - to take up their vacant post permanently following Leon Cameron's mid-season exit, but McVeigh shouldn’t be discounted on this evidence. McVeigh, who has worked within the GIANTS set-up since 2015, made a bold decision for a caretaker coach to publicly criticise his players after their 73-point Derby loss but he backed in his comments and got the desired reaction from his players. That's a big tick.

Stringer peripheral and goalless

Jake Stringer has never been a high-possession winner but his influence was minimal with only 12 touches, while he spurned three chances on goal, finishing with three behinds. The enigmatic Bombers star was in the thick of the pre-game scuffle, with his guernsey ripped over his shoulder, before giving away an off-the-ball free-kick to allow Harry Himmelberg to give the GIANTS a two-goal lead within two minutes.

Terrific Taylor edges Wright in key battle

All-Australian contender Sam Taylor got the better of an entertaining battle with Peter Wright. The Dons forward booted two goals, extending his run of games with multiple goals to eight. Wright also took his season goals tally to 49, sitting fourth in the Coleman Medal race, but Taylor won plenty of one-on-one contests, finishing with a team-high nine intercepts with 14 disposals and eight marks for the game.

GIANTS                                         3.5       7.7       11.9       14.12 (96)
ESSENDON                                   3.3       7.5        9.8        10.9 (69)

GOALS 

GIANTS: Hogan 4, Greene 2, Coniglio, Himmelberg, Kelly, Bruhn, Perryman, Lloyd, Ward, Whitfield
Essendon: Guelfi 4, Wright 2, Langford, Stewart, Perkins, Hobbs

BEST

GIANTS: Whitfield, Hogan, Perryman, Kelly, Taylor, Coniglio
Essendon: Parish, Guelfi, Durham, Zerk-Thatcher, Draper

INJURIES

GIANTS: Peatling (concussion)
Essendon: Nil

SUBSTITUTES

GIANTS: Tanner Bruhn (replaced Peatling in the second quarter)
Essendon: Massimo D'Ambrosio (unused)