The GIANTS will travel to Melbourne looking to take down the Bombers at Marvel Stadium on Saturday as they aim to celebrate club legend Callan Ward’s 300^th game in the AFL.

Match Details 

Bombers v GIANTS
Saturday, May 11 at 4:35pm
Marvel Stadium | Wurundjeri Country 

What it Means for the GIANTS

The GIANTS will be looking to ensure they remain inside the top four with victory over the Bombers on Saturday in what will be GIANTS legend Callan Ward’s 300^th game in the AFL. 

Named an inaugural co-captain of the club after joining the GIANTS for their debut season following 60 games at the Bulldogs, Ward is being celebrated this week for his instrumental contribution to the club since its inception. 

The GIANTS’ first club champion, first goal kicker, and games record holder, Ward continues to add to a legacy that will see him go down as one of the most influential figures in GIANTS history. 

After setting a club-record with five straight wins to start the season, the GIANTS have suffered losses to the Blues and the Swans either side of a big win over the Lions in the past three weeks to sit third on the AFL table at 6-2.  

Looking to return to the winner’s list, the GIANTS could be bolstered by the inclusion of vice-captain Stephen Coniglio against the Bombers on Saturday, with the line-breaking midfielder overcoming a knee injury that forced him to miss last week’s 29-point loss to the Swans.  

In more good news, Tom Green will be a test to take on the Bombers after the star onballer was cleared of any serious damage to his ankle following an awkward incident early in the clash with the Swans which saw the 23-year-old subbed out of the game.

The Opposition 

The Bombers are hot on the GIANTS’ heels of a top four spot after a strong to the season which has them sitting fifth on the ladder with five wins, two losses, and a draw across the opening eight matches.

Essendon will enter Saturday’s twilight clash having not lost in a month, with a six-point win over the Eagles last week coming on the back of a draw with the Magpies on ANZAC Day and wins over the Crows and the Bulldogs in the weeks prior.

Surviving a scare against the improved Eagles last week, the Bombers withstood everything that West Coast threw at them in an epic contest at Optus Stadium to run out victors by a goal to remain firmly entrenched in the top eight ahead of Saturday’s showdown with the GIANTS.

Bombers skipper Zach Merrett (31 touches, three goals), Darcy Parish (36 touches), and Nic Martin (32 touches) led the way in the win and will be firmly on the GIANTS’ radar as players to stop on Saturday.

Recent History 

The GIANTS have had the wood over the Bombers in recent years, holding a 4-1 advantage in the last five match-ups, including a record-breaking win the last time the two sides faced last year.

With both teams needing to win to stay in the hunt for finals, the GIANTS fired a warning shot to the rest of the competition with a 126-point win over the Bombers at ENGIE Stadium (formerly GIANTS Stadium) in round 23 last year.

The huge win entered the record books as the GIANTS’ highest-ever winning margin, while spearhead Jesse Hogan set new career-highs in goals (nine) and marks (17) in a dominant performance up forward.

Key Match-Up: Dashing Defenders

Saturday’s clash will showcase two of the AFL’s best rebounding defenders strutting their stuff as GIANT Lachie Whitfield and Bomber Andrew McGrath look to continue their stellar 2024 campaigns.

Whitfield has been on a tear to start his 12^th AFL season, with the two-time Kevin Sheedy Medalist and 2018 All Australian averaging career-highs in disposals (30 per game), rebound 50s (5.6) and kicking efficiency (80 per cent) to cement himself as one of the competition’s most damaging half-backs. 

McGrath is also enduring arguably the best season of his career, with the Essendon vice-captain averaging a career-high 25 touches and 5.4 rebound 50s per game as one Essendon’s most lethal weapons out of the back half.

With Whitfield and McGrath at the peak of their powers, whichever dashing defender can impact the game the most is sure to have a huge say on the result of Saturday’s showdown.  

GIANTS Player to Watch  

Fourth-year GIANT James Peatling has certainly made the most of his opportunities in recent weeks after dishing out arguably the best two-game stretch of his young career. 

After breaking his way into Adam Kingsley’s side following four consecutive matches as the sub – and a game-saving mark against the Saints in Canberra round five - the energetic midfielder-forward has proved himself to be a handy addition to the GIANTS’ starting 22 with a pair of impressive performances. 

After tallying 21 touches, six clearances and four marks in the win over Brisbane in round seven, the zippy Pennant Hills product backed it up with a career-high 24 touches against the Swans last week to go along with eight tackles, four clearances and four marks to be amongst the GIANTS' best. 

Possessing elite speed and agility with a knack for finding the footy, the GIANTS Academy graduate will look to continue his strong run of form on Saturday.

In the Mix 

While Coniglio [knee] is expected to be available, and Green [ankle] a test for Saturday’s game, several GIANTS continue to push their case for AFL selection with red-hot form in the VFL, with Xavier O’Halloran (23 touches, one goal, four tackles), Nick Haynes (38 disposals, 14 marks), Conor Stone (16 disposals, three goals) and Harry Rowston (28 disposals, one goal) leading the charge last week.

Team Selection 

The GIANTS will name their team to take on the Bombers at 6:20pm on Thursday at gwsgiants.com.au. 

Rehab Report 

Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.  

Where to Watch

Saturday’s match will be shown live and free on 7 Mate from 4:30pm in Sydney and the ACT, as well as nationally on Fox Footy and Kayo from 4:30pm. 

Be part of the #BigBigSound in 2024 - For all the latest news, follow @GWSGIANTS on social media: Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Essendon has climbed up to third on the ladder after stunning the GIANTS by 20 points on Saturday.

Down by 22 points in the second term, the Bombers first calmed the 'Orange Tsunami' and then launched their own punishing wave to win 12.10 (82) to 9.8 (62) at Marvel Stadium.

Nic Martin was outstanding off half-back as Kyle Langford kicked four goals and Matt Guelfi also played a crucial role with his three.

GIANTS midfielder Tom Green had a game-high 34 disposals.

Apart from improving to 6-2-1 and going above the GIANTS on the ladder, Essendon also made a statement after its round 23 capitulation last year.

The GIANTS slaughtered the Bombers at home by 126 points to destroy their finals hopes and deliver a major setback to coach Brad Scott's regime.

Essendon produced its best performance of the season so far to spoil the occasion for GIANTS veteran Callan Ward, who was chaired off the ground after his 300th game.

The GIANTS were cleaner early and took their chances, kicking four goals to one in the opening term.

They broke out to a game-high lead of 22 points when captain Toby Greene kicked his first goal in the second quarter.

But Langford looped a superb goal from his set shot deep in the pocket as the Bombers fought back and when he kicked his second late in the term, they only trailed by 12 points at the main break.

Essendon dominated the third quarter, racking up 19 inside 50s to seven.

Langford kicked another two and when Mason Redman launched a bomb from outside 50, the Bombers hit the front for the first time.

They extended their advantage to 14 points when Guelfi kicked the first goal of the last term.

After Toby Bedford took a great mark and kicked accurately to keep the GIANTS in the contest, Guelfi posted his third and Nick Hind converted on the run to build a match-winning break.

ESSENDON                                     1.2     4.6     9.9     12.10 (82)  
GIANTS                                              4.3     6.6     8.7       9.8 (62)  

GOALS

Essendon: Langford 4, Guelfi 3, Stringer, Redman, Perkins, Hind, Davey
GIANTS: Hogan 2, Greene 2, Stone, Riccardi, Kelly, Jones, Bedford

BEST

Essendon: Durham, Langford, Martin, Caldwell, Merrett, Redman, McKay
GIANTS: Green, Briggs, Coniglio, Taylor, Kelly

INJURIES

Essendon: Nil
GIANTS: Nil

SUBSTITUTES

Essendon: Ben Hobbs (replaced Alwyn Davey jnr in the fourth quarter)
GIANTS: Harvey Thomas (replaced Conor Stone in the fourth quarter)

Crowd: 37,295 at Marvel Stadium