All eyes turn to ENGIE Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the GIANTS host the Pies in a mouthwatering Opening Round clash.

Match Details   

GIANTS v Magpies 
Sunday, March 9 at 3:20pm 
ENGIE Stadium | Wangal Country 

What It Means For The GIANTS     

After a long pre-season the real stuff is finally here as the GIANTS look to kick-start their 2025 campaign in winning fashion as they host Collingwood in a replay of last year’s inaugural Opening Round clash.

After a record-breaking 2024 season ended with finals heartbreak, the GIANTS will be aiming to make amends in 2025 as they chase their elusive first premiership with an exciting side boasting a blend of youth and experience.

Led once again by skipper Toby Greene, and with star vice-captains Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio fit and firing, the GIANTS will be hoping for a repeat of last year’s Opening Round result which saw them upset the Pies with a 32-point win at ENGIE Stadium.

The GIANTS will be aiming to overcome the absence of three of their stars against the Pies on Sunday, with reigning Coleman Medallist Jesse Hogan (thumb), boom recruit Jake Stringer (hamstring), and star midfielder Tom Green (calf) missing the season opener through injury.

While they’ll be without some of their stars to start the season, the orange tsunami could be energized by a number of young untried and exciting teenagers in 2025 after impressive performances over the summer.

While not at full strength for their Opening Round fixture, the GIANTS will be hoping a huge summer on the track can see them start the 2025 season with a bang by taking down their black and white rival.

The Opposition 

Collingwood will enter the 2025 season hungry and full of ambition after missing last year’s finals series on the back of a premiership in 2023.

The Pies paid the price for a slow start in 2024 and despite a strong second half to the season were left to rue their poor start to the year as they narrowly missed out on a finals spot to finish in ninth spot.

Already boasting the most experienced list in the competition, the Pies added a trio of off-season recruits in their bid to return to the top in 2025, with the club recruiting Dan Houston (Port Adelaide), Tim Membrey (St Kilda), and former GIANT Harry Perryman over the summer.

Collingwood will enter Sunday’s Opening Round following an impressive 83- point win over Richmond in their AAMI Community Series clash last week.

The Magpies will be missing star midfielder Jordan De Goey against the GIANTS, with the 28-year-old ruled out on Tuesday as he overcomes bone bruising.

Recent History   

The GIANTS have had a mixed bag of results against the Pies in recent years with whom they’ve started to build a healthy but lively rivalry with.

The orange tsunami stormed to a resounding 32-point win the last time the sides met in the corresponding Opening Round fixture last year, but the Magpies have won the two prior meetings between the sides.

Up against the reigning premiers at the time, the GIANTS fired a warning shot to the rest of the competition to start their 2024 campaign with an impressive 18.6 (114) – 11.16 (82) Opening Round win over Collingwood at ENGIE Stadium.

Meanwhile the prior meeting between the side ended in heartbreak for the GIANTS as the Magpies registered a one-point preliminary final win to punch their ticket into the 2023 Grand Final while ending the GIANTS’ season.

With the GIANTS holding a narrow 6-4 edge in the last 10 games between the sides, Sunday’s clash looms as another exciting meeting between two of the league’s most highly fancied teams entering the 2025 season.

Key Match-Up: An Old Friend Pays a Visit  

Sunday’s match-up will see former GIANTS defender Harry Perryman face his old side for the first time after crossing to the Pies in the summer.

Perryman signed with Collingwood on a six-year deal in the summer after eight seasons and 129 games in orange and charcoal.

Now playing as a midfielder for the Magpies, Perryman has not had to wait long to face his former side as they do battle in his very first game in his new colours. 

GIANTS Player to Watch: Sam Taylor

Star All-Australian defender Sam Taylor says he’s determined to return to his very best in 2025 after a pair of tough injuries curtailed his 2024 season.

Establishing himself as one of, if not the best key defender in the competition in recent years, Taylor’s 2024 season was marred by a concussion injury and a ruptured testicle which forced him to spend numerous weeks on the sideline.

While he still rated elite in his position for both intercept marks and tackles in 2024, Taylor himself says he wasn’t happy with his performances in the latter half of the season and is determined on returning to being the best defender in the game in 2025.

Despite a concussion in an intra club match three weeks ago, Taylor is now back to full fitness and following a big summer is primed to return to his All Australian form this year.

The competitive 198cm defender will need to be at his best on Sunday as he faces a Collingwood forward line with three in-form tall forwards, with Brody Mihocek, Dan McStay, and Tim Membrey all strong aerial targets for the Pies across the pre-season.  

In The Mix  

With Hogan (thumb), Stringer (hamstring), and Green (calf) all unavailable on Sunday, it opens the door for selection for several GIANTS looking to solidly their spot or break into the side in 2025.

While the likes of recent draftees Cody Angove, James Leake and Phoenix Gothard are pressing their claims for an AFL debut, slightly more experienced GIANTS such as Harry Rowston, Conor Stone and Max Gruzewski will all be hoping for more AFL action in 2025. 

Team Selection 

The GIANTS will name their extended squad to take on the Pies at 6:20pm on Thursday at gwsgiants.com.auand the final team at 5pm on Friday.

Rehab Report   

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

Where To Watch  

The Opening Round match will be shown live and free on 7 Mate in NSW and ACT and online on 7 Plus from 3pm, as well as on Fox Footy and Kayo from 3pm.

Be part of the #BigBigSound in 2025 - For all the latest news, follow @GWSGIANTS on social media: Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The GIANTS have taken a crucial first step to putting a horror finals campaign behind them with a 52-point thumping of Collingwood at ENGIE Stadium.

The GIANTS had to withstand a gallant Magpies challenge but showed few signs of crumbling under pressure as they had done late last year before running away to a 15.14 (104) to 6.16 (52) triumph on Sunday afternoon.

But the win could have come at a heavy cost after GIANTS big man Kieren Briggs was caught under teammate Sam Taylor leaping backwards into a pack and was taken from the field on a stretcher.

The 201cm ruck was quickly subbed out of the match but was soon upright and talking before being taken to hospital for further assessment on his neck.

The Magpies were given their own injury scare when star midfielder Nick Daicos tumbled to the ground in an innocuous contest and grabbed at the back of his left leg in the third term. 

Daicos was able to return to the action and renew his running battle with tagger Toby Bedford but had little impact in the final term as the GIANTS piled on six goals to two to seal a statement win.

Taylor might have played an unfortunate role in Briggs' match ending early but had just as much impact on the GIANTS' victory with a masterful display in defence.

The gun defender unusually started by booting the opening goal of the game and then set about controlling the airways with nine intercept marks that was a key to the Pies failing to make the most of their slight inside-50 advantage.

Finn Callaghan made his first repayment on a long-term deal with the GIANTS as the former No.3 pick was sublime with his ball use and finished with 33 disposals, seven clearances and two goals.

GIANTS stalwart Josh Kelly (36) partnered Callaghan in going head-to-head with the Pies in the engine room, while Callan Ward (23, one goal) turned back the clock in the absence of the injured Tom Green.

Harry Perryman could hardly have done much more in his Collingwood debut and first match against the side that he played 129 matches with.

The Magpies' recruit gathered 27 disposals mostly running through the midfield, while Josh Daicos (28) added class off half-back or when lining up around a wing. 

While the GIANTS had their run-and-carry transition game that powered the surge to a top-four finish last season humming early, their backs were largely up against the wall in the third term.

The Pies had 17 inside 50s to the GIANTS' four forward entries but could only manage five behinds after the main break before Darcy Jones burst away to boot a checkside goal and stretch the margin to 26 points heading into the final term.

The GIANTS had given up even bigger leads during their straight sets exit last year, but showed few signs of that record coming back to haunt them as they overran the Pies in the last term.

Briggs Out Of Action

The GIANTS shook off the Magpies even without Kieren Briggs for more than three quarters after the first-choice ruck was caught under a pack and soon helped from the field on a stretcher. Briggs and Collingwood ruck Darcy Cameron were jostling for position as the ball landed on top of a pack deep in the GIANTS' defence while Sam Taylor launched himself backwards in a typically desperate attempt to spoil. The key defender ensured the ball was brought to ground and quickly cleared away, but also fell heavily on top of Briggs who remained on the turf until assistance arrived. With Briggs subbed out soon after, veteran Lachlan Keeffe was forced into the ruck and now looms as critical to the GIANTS' hopes amid otherwise inexperienced big-man stocks.

Slammin' Sam Goes Bang!

The GIANTS would have been hoping for a wide spread of goalkickers against the Magpies without reigning Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan, the suspended Jake Riccardi and injured recruit Jake Stringer. But their opener could hardly have come from a less likely source than a key defender who had as many All-Australian blazers and club champion awards as goals in 111 matches before facing the Pies. Sam Taylor outmarked Dan McStay as the Collingwood defence looked to clear the ball to the wing, and was then was handed a 50m penalty after an errant hand hit him high. That took the 25-year-old close enough to goal to sneak in just the second major of his career and set off wild scenes as he was swamped by teammates.

GIANTS                                     5.3     8.7     9.9      15.14 (104)
COLLINGWOOD                          1.6     4.8     4.13    6.16 (52)

GOALS

GIANTS: Brown 2, Jones 2, O'Halloran 2, Callaghan 2, Gruzewski 2, Taylor, Ward, Greene, Daniels, Leake
Collingwood: Mihocek 2, Elliott 2, Hill, Membrey

BEST

GIANTS: Callaghan, Taylor, Kelly, Whitfield, Ward, Daniels, Ash 
Collingwood: Perryman, Cameron, J.Daicos, N.Daicos, Crisp                     

INJURIES

GIANTS: Briggs (neck)
Collingwood: Nil

SUBSTITUTES

GIANTS: Jacob Wehr (replaced Kieren Briggs in the first quarter)
Collingwood: Ned Long (replaced Will Hoskin-Elliott in the third quarter)

Crowd: TBC at Engie Stadium