The GANTS will enter the Cattery looking to upset the home side on their home turf for a fifth straight time.

AFL Round 9

Cats v GIANTS 
Sunday, May 11 at 3:20pm 
GMHBA Stadium | Wadawurrung Country

What It Means For The GIANTS  

The GIANTS (4-4) will enter Geelong confident that they can regain their best form despite some inconsistency across four quarters which has seen them lose their last three games.

While many sides fear the task of taking on the Cats at their fortress of GMHBA Stadium, the GIANTS will enter enemy territory with fond memories and a remarkably strong record, having won the last four clashes between the sides at GMHBA Stadium dating back to 2019.

Despite their loss to the Swans last weekend the GIANTS showed glimpses of their best football for much of the clash, with Adam Kingsley’s side overcoming a slow start to dominant the middle portion of the match before ultimately falling short by 14 points. 

With positive signs to build on, the GIANTS will enter Geelong buoyed by the performances of some of their stars, with gun midfielders Tom Green (34 disposals) and Finn Callaghan (33 disposals) starring against the Swans, while the performance of young key forward Aaron Cadman (12 disposals, six marks, two goals) was exciting as he continues to show he’s the future of the club’s forward line.

While taking down the Cats at home is one of the toughest tasks in football, the GIANTS will be hoping they can keep their rare streak at GMHBA Stadium alive on Sunday in a clash in which they’ll celebrate Tom Green’s 100^th AFL game.

The Opposition  

The Cats (5-3) will welcome the GIANTS to town off the back off their most impressive win of the season after taking down Collingwood by three points in a thriller at the MCG last week. 

Down for most of the game, the Cats dominated territory in the final term and converted it onto the scoreboard to snatch the lead and hold on for an epic 13.12 (90) to 12.15 (87) win as Collingwood’s Jack Crisp missed a game-winning set shot after the final siren.

Geelong will enter Sunday’s huge clash with several of its stars firing, with recruit Bailey Smith (34 disposals, one goal) and skipper Patrick Dangerfield (29 disposals, one goal) in particular leading the way in the impressive win over the Pies.

Winners of four of their last five games, the Cats will be hoping their strong form can see them overcome the GIANTS’ great record at GMHBA Stadium and avoid losing five straight games to the orange tsunami at the venue.  

The Cats could be strengthened by two key inclusions on Sunday, with Tom Stewart (knee) and Gryan Miers (concussion) both tests this week as they look to return to face the GIANTS.

Recent History  

The GIANTS hold a 3-2 advantage over the Cats in the last five meetings and a remarkable 4-0 record in the last four clashes at GMHBA Stadium.

The two most recent matchups saw the GIANTS register a thrilling four-point win in round 11 last year at GMHBA Stadium and before that a stirring seven-point win at the same venue in round 11 in 2023.  

In last year’s epic win, the Cats clawed their way back from 31 points down in the third quarter to hit the lead in the final term before a Toby Greene goal and some game-saving marks from Leek Aleer saw the GIANTS hold on for an epic 11.12 (78) to 11.8 (74) win.   

Key Match Up: Idun v Dangerfield

Sunday’s clash could see a mouth-watering matchup of Connor Idun and Cats’ skipper Patrick Dangerfield going head-to-head. 

One of the league’s most reliable and dynamic mid-sized defenders, Idun continues to put his name in All-Australian contention with a brilliant season to date down back for the GIANTS. 

On the other side, Dangerfield will face the GIANTS following his best game in recent memory after willing his side to victory over Collingwood last week with a best-on-ground display. 

Both supreme athletes possessing elite speed and power, a battle between Idun and Dangerfield would be worth the price of admission alone and if it eventuates could play a major say in who comes away with victory on Sunday afternoon.  

GIANTS Player To Watch: Toby Greene 

GIANTS skipper Toby Greene will likely strike fear into the eyes of many Geelong fans on Sunday after several match-winning performances against the Cats in recent times.

Greene has starred in both of the last two wins against the Cats at GMHBA Stadium, with Greene kicking the match-winning goal in last year’s win to finish with 24 disposals and two goals, while in the prior win he also starred with four goals and 19 disposals as he celebrated his 200^th game with a seven-point win.  

With his side looking to bounce back and return to the winner’s list, don’t be surprised if it’s the GIANTS skipper who stands up on Sunday.

In The Mix 

With the club’s VFL side undefeated, several players in the second-tier competition continue to push their claims for AFL selection.

Click here to get a recap of last week’s VFL win, where the likes of Harry Rowston and draftees Cody Angove and Jack Ough led the way.

Meanwhile a few GIANTS will face fitness tests later in the week in their bid to play on Sunday. Check out the Rehab Report below for more information.

Team Selection 

The GIANTS will name their extended squad to take on the Cats at 6:20pm on Thursday via gwsgiants.com.au and announce the final team of 23 at 5pm on Friday.

Rehab Report

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

Where To Watch 

The GIANTS’ clash with the Cats will be shown live and free in NSW and the ACT on 7mate and 7plus from 3pm, as well as live nationally on Fox Sports 3, Kayo, and Binge from 3pm.

Ten lead changes, a Jesse Hogan masterclass, and a matchwinner from Jake Riccardi.

Geelong taking on the GIANTS at GMHBA Stadium was always going to be heart in mouth stuff.

Ultimately, it was the GIANTS who won 16.9 (105) to 14.17 (101) as the sun set on a Mother's Day Sunday, keeping the visitors' remarkable winning streak at the venue alive.

The GIANTS have now won their past five games at GMHBA Stadium by an average of less than eight points, and are undefeated in Geelong since round seven, 2018.

The Cats couldn't make the most of their opportunities to snatch victory late in the game, as three wayward shots on goal in the dying minutes broke the hearts of the crowd.

The GIANTS got a fast start, kicking five of the first six goals of the game and slicing through the Cats, but it is Geelong who is the final quarter specialist in 2025.

Taking a seven-point lead into the final break, the GIANTS started the fourth quarter a millimetre off, dropping marks they had been taking all night, and allowing the Cats to come in and attack off turnover.

But Hogan calmed the troops, with his sixth goal of the evening settling things down and returning the game to its tense mode of the previous three quarters. The 2024 Coleman medallist kicked seven for the match, just shy of his season-high of nine in round four.

Midfield control was the barometer for both teams. Early on, it was the GIANTS dominating clearance, spitting forward out of the contest, and taking advantage of a Geelong defence without Tom Stewart and Lawson Humphries.

It was Patrick Dangerfield who slung momentum back in the Cats' favour. It took 21 minutes for the home captain to touch the footy, but it was followed by a goal, and then a sense of strength around the ball as he injected himself into the contest.

Geelong was slow to establish its ability to defend the corridor, an avenue the visitors worked to exploit at every possible opportunity.

Finn Callaghan (29 disposals, 555 metres gained) was the architect of the GIANTS' devastating end-to-end transition, which repeatedly sliced through Geelong's defensive walls. Callaghan's penetrating kick was efficient in gaining dangerous territory, and capitalised on his side's desire to lengthen the ground and own space goal-side of the Cats.

The GIANTS were forced to live in their back half for much of the third term, unable to execute the damaging defensive transition that was so effective in the first half. What Geelong struggled to do, however, was convert that time in attack into real dominance on the scoreboard.

It kept the door open for the moment the GIANTS rediscovered their running, attacking game, with Hogan the beneficiary inside 50.

The ruck battle between Mark Blicavs (20 disposals, nine clearances, five marks) and Kieren Briggs (34 hitouts, 10 disposals) was a fascinating subplot to the match, with Blicavs' athleticism to support in defence important, but Briggs' pure strength at the contest equally impactful.

On the bell of three-quarter time, GIANTS captain Toby Greene went down with a right ankle concern, but managed to play out the game, while forward Jake Stringer landed two early goals before being subbed out with a right hamstring concern.

Green Shoots Up In Game No.100

A rare infringement from Geelong forward-ruck Shannon Neale opened the door for milestone GIANT Tom Green to kick an important goal. At a boundary throw in 40m from the visitors' goal line, Neale got too much of the footy when leaping in the ruck, and knocked it out on the full. Enter Green. From the toughest of angles, and at a challenging distance, Green brushed it off and coolly went back to slot the goal for the eighth lead change of the match.

GIANTS Veteran Turns Back The Clock

In game No.324, Callan Ward gave GIANTS fans something special. In the second quarter out of a stoppage deep in the visitors' attacking line, the veteran calmly stepped back from the scramble, side-stepped a Jhye Clark attempt to smother, and slotted the major around his body. Those watching from home would have been forgiven for thinking it hadn't gone through given the deafening silence from the Geelong home crowd, but Ward celebrated enthusiastically, nonetheless.

GEELONG                                            3.4    9.8    11.12   14.17 (101)
GIANTS                                                     5.2    9.7    13.7   16.9 (105)

GOALS

Geelong: Cameron 2, Mannagh 2, Dempsey 2, Stengle 2, Close, Dangerfield, Duncan, Neale, O.Henry, Miers
GIANTS: Hogan 7, Stringer 2, O'Halloran, Greene, Cadman, Ward, Green, Thomas, Riccardi

BEST

Geelong: Cameron, Holmes, Smith, Dangerfield, Blicavs, Dempsey
GIANTS: Callaghan, Briggs, Hogan, Taylor, Green, Whitfield

INJURIES

Geelong: Nil
GIANTS: Stringer (right hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES

Geelong: Ted Clohesy (replaced Jhye Clark at three-quarter time)
GIANTS: Josaia Delana (replaced Jake Stringer in the second quarter)

Crowd: 28,407 at GMHBA Stadium