The GIANTS will look to finish off season 10 with a high when they clash with the Power at Henson Park in their final game for 2025.  

AFLW ROUND 12 
  
GIANTS v Power 

Saturday, November 1 at 1:05pm 

Henson Park, Sydney | Gadigal & Wangal 

What it Means for the GIANTS   

A lightning delay proved the refresh the GIANTS needed after giving early, easy points to the Blues in round 11.  

Disappointed with their first half, the GIANTS returned to Ikon Park after a half-hour break in play as a different team, delivering the style of football that has challenged the league’s best teams to deliver a 33-point fightback post-delay.   

They’ll be looking to retain that momentum through the final week of training and into Saturday’s clash with the Power in the hope that lightning strikes twice and the GIANTS can finish their tenth season with a win.  

With the round 12 clash closing out a historic season for the GIANTS, the club’s tenth in the league as an inaugural team, there’s plenty of motivation for success.  

A win would be the GIANTS’ best season since the competition expanded in 2022, while also ensuring that retiring GIANT Aliesha Newman finishes her career on a high, following the announcement of her retirement from the game on Tuesday.   

The Opposition   

A ‘Showdown’ win against their cross-town opponents the Crows in round 11 has given the Power a glimmer of hope for finals and a win against the GIANTS would leave them hoping other results fall in their favour to nab the last spot in the eight. 

Port enjoyed a rapid rise in 2024, playing finals for the first time after joining the competition as part of the 18-team expansion in 2022. 

While they’ve maintained plenty of the strength around and ahead of the ball that made last year’s efforts so fruitful, it’s in defence where the Power have struggled to hold form in 2025, conceding an average of 52.5 points per game, with an average loss margin of 26.2. 

Up the other end of the park, it’s a different story.   

Boasting a damaging forward line and bolstered by the ruck work of Matilda Scholz – the AFLW Rising Star in 2024, the Power are the competition’s fourth highest scoring team. 

It’s something the GIANTS will need to limit in order to claim the four points and finish the year the way they hope to.   

With the likes of Shineah Goody and Abbey Dowrick on the ball, round 12 shapes as an exciting contest across the park.  

Key Match Up: Taming Tahau  

Breaking the AFLW record for the most goals scored through the home-and-away season with a game in hand, Indy Tahau is the game’s most damaging forward. 

Joining the Power as a defender in 2022, after two seasons with the Lions, a switch into attack, where she could repurpose her aerial marking and rebounding speed has proved a pivotal one for Port Adelaide, who switched ends in 2024 upon return from rupturing her ACL. 

Keeping Tahau quiet will be the responsibility of GIANTS’ key defender Katherine Smith, who will look to add to her collections of scalps for the year.  

It likely leaves Emily Pease with the unenviable task of lining up against the club’s three-time leading goalkicker Gemma Houghton, a dual All-Australian with 19-goals herself in 2025.   

GIANTS Player to Watch: Aliesha Newman 

One of the best beloved players around the club for her commitment to culture and community, Aliesha Newman announced that this Saturday’s match would be her last at AFLW level. 

A prolific small forward, with the ability to break through lines with her speed, Newman is a previous AFLW Goal of the Year winner, who threatens the same ability to leave opponents in her wake even now. 

Newman has featured in a different role for the GIANTS this season, coming off the bench in her first two matches for the side in rounds eight and nine, before featuring more prominently against the Blues last week.   

With her relentless pursuit and pace, Newman is as dangerous as she was when she was recruited by the Demons ahead of the inaugural AFLW season.   

The GIANTS will be looking to send Newman off on a high, with a win at Henson Park for her final game.  

In The Mix  

Zarlie Goldsworthy will need to complete training on Thursday after tweaking her ankle in last Sunday’s match-up with the Blues. 

Taylah Levy was managed last week after ongoing knee soreness kept her from contesting a place in Cam Bernasconi’s side. She is a chance to return this week after returning to training with the team.   

With the last AFLW scrimmage for the season held in Adelaide last week, both Eleanor Brown and Claire Ransom are also chances to enter the team after strong outings at Alberton Oval.  

Team Selection 

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

Rehab Report 

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

Where To Watch 

Saturday's clash will be shown live and free in NSW and the ACT on 7Mate and 7plus from 1pm, as well as nationally on Fox Sports 3, Kayo and BINGE from 1pm. 

Port Adelaide forward Gemma Houghton has booted a goal after the siren to become the first AFLW player to reach a century of career majors as the Power blew away the GIANTS with a 10-goal blitz in a 57-point victory.

Houghton was set to fall narrowly short of the record until pulling down a strong contested mark with just two seconds left on the clock and then slotting the set shot from a tight angle to spark wild celebrations at Henson Park.

The Power took time to fire even with their faint finals hopes on the line until Houghton sparked the side to life with two goals during a devastating second term that set up the 11.15 (81) to 3.6 (24) win over the GIANTS on Saturday afternoon.

The veteran forward added a third goal during the third term but missed a chance to create history early in the last quarter when booting a behind before taking her chance to boot a fourth goal of the afternoon after the final siren. 

Power vice-captain Julia Teakle returned in style to present as another forward target in her first game of the year after injuring a foot in the pre-season and finished with two goals.

Spearhead Indy Tahau extended her record for the most goals kicked in an AFLW season and tightened her grip on this year's leading goalkicker award when adding two majors to take her to a total of 25.

Heavy rainfall leading into the game ensured a contested clash that suited the Power more than the GIANTS' free-flowing style as the visitors overcame a slow start to pile on 10 consecutive goals after the first change.

Athletic ruck Matilda Scholtz helped set the tone at the stoppages while being a useful link player around the ground to gather 18 disposals and 20 hitouts, while Abbey Dowrick (16) and Shineah Goody (18) were important to the win.

Port Adelaide made a late surge towards the top eight with four wins in its last five matches including rousing victories over Adelaide and Hawthorn but is likely to rue a sluggish start to the season.

The Power are still a mathematical chance to snatch a finals spot but would need both the Crows and Swans to lose by significant margins this weekend for their season to continue.

The GIANTS made a promising start with the only two goals of the opening term but were unable to stay with the Power as the game wore on and their own injuries piled up.

Madison Brazendale helped get the GIANTS going with 15 disposals before being ruled out with a corked quad, while Bec Beeson spent a long period on the sidelines before passing a head injury assessment.

But the worst was still to come as Eilish O'Dowd slumped to the turf in a tackle during the final with concerns that the lively ruck injured a knee. 

AFLW trailblazer Aliesha Newman signed off with 11 disposals but could not add to her goalkicking highlights, while Kaitlyn Srhoj ended a promising season to be among the GIANTS best with 18 touches.

The defeat locks the GIANTS into a bottom-four finish with only two wins as their reliance on swift ball movement was again exposed against a Power side that is among the best in the contest.

GIANTS goalsneak signs off in style

GIANTS forward Aliesha Newman has been a trailblazer since the earliest years of the AFLW and turned back the clock with a lively performance against the Power in her 67th game. Newman was unable to add to her 26 majors, let alone boot another magical contender for the goal of the year to add to the award she won in 2018, but was signed off in style with 11 disposals in her final game.

Up next

It's season over for both sides. The Power finish on six wins but pay the price for losing to too many of the fellow top-eight contenders this year, while the GIANTS end a tough season on two victories.

GIANTS                                       2.2   2.3   2.4   3.6 (24)

PORT ADELAIDE                         0.2   6.4   9.10   11.15 (81)

GOALS

GIANTS Garnett, Evans, Davies

Port Adelaide: Houghton 4, Teakle 2, Tahau 2, Heads, Moloney, Stewart, 

BEST

GIANTS: McCormick, Srhoj, Goldsworthy, Pease

Port Adelaide: Scholz, Houghton, Heads, Dowrick, Goody, Tahau, Boag 

INJURIES

GIANTS: Brazendale (quad)

Port Adelaide: Nil

Crowd: TBC at Henson Park