AFL Round 6
Crows v GIANTS
Saturday, April 19 at 4:15pm AEST / 3:45pm ACST
Adelaide Oval | Kaurna Country
What It Means For The GIANTS
The GIANTS will be looking to continue their strong form in South Australia as they return to the City of Churches for a second week in a row, this time for a crucial clash with the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
Keen to build on their winning momentum, Adam Kingsley’s side will be channelling their third quarter antics from last week’s Gather Round victory against the Saints to cement their place at the top of the ladder and put the competition on watch.
The GIANTS’ versatile and firepower forward line has been on full display early in 2025 and it’s proving harder and harder for opposition defenders to contain the orange tsunami when they surge forward.
But beyond just banking premiership points, this week presents another opportunity for the GIANTS to reinforce their identity as a genuine premiership fancy and a side capable of winning in the most hostile of venues.
The Opposition
The Crows, meanwhile, will be desperate to turn their form of recent weeks around in front of a vocal and passionate home crowd.
While there’s no shortage of talent on Matthew Nicks’ list, consistency has been the biggest challenge across the opening rounds of 2025, having fallen short in their last two matches despite being in front or within reach heading into the final term.
The Crows have struggled to maintain momentum in key moments, with lapses in concentration and ball useproving costly late in games. Their ability to control tempo and execute under pressure has been inconsistent, and they'll be looking to tighten up across all four quarters to avoid letting another winnable game slip away.
While Adelaide have had a mixed start to the season, they remain dangerous on their home deck, with players like Jordan Dawson, Rory Laird and Izak Rankine all capable of turning a game.
Recent History
The recent encounters between the two sides have clearly tilted in the GIANTS’ favour, with the team in orange and charcoal coming out on top in the last five encounters.
The 2023, round one victory, which saw the GIANTS defeat the Crows 106-90 at ENGIE Stadium, was Adam Kingsley’s first match – and win – as a senior coach.
Since then, the GIANTS have recorded back-to-back victories at Adelaide Oval with an average winning margin of 15 points.
Key Match Up: Four-Head Monster v GIANT Defence
The Crows have leaned heavily into a tall-forward strategy in 2025, rolling out a quartet of key position threats in Taylor Walker, Darcy Fogarty, Riley Thilthorpe and Dan Curtin. It’s a structure that’s proven effective in hitting the scoreboard, but has attracted conflicting commentary for their inability to apply defensive pressure.
But this weekend, they’ll face one of the stingiest and most disciplined defensive units in the league. The GIANTS’ backline, led by All-Australian Sam Taylor and the ever-reliable Jack Buckley, Connor Idun and Harry Himmelberg.
Taylor’s one-on-one ability and Buckley’s athleticism will be crucial in nullifying the threat, while Idun and Himmelberg will need to read the play well and provide support in transition.
GIANTS Player To Watch: Jake Stringer
Jake Stringer gave GIANTS fans a glimpse of what he’s capable of in orange last week, hitting the scoreboard with his first goals for the club.
The powerful and dynamic forward slotted two majors and brought his trademark physicality and flair, providing a spark when the game was in the balance.
After a few weeks of finding his feet in a new system, Stringer looks to be building momentum - and that’s an exciting prospect for GIANTS supporters.
His ability to impact games both at stoppages and inside 50 makes him a tough match-up, and his experience and X-factor could prove crucial against the Crows.
In The Mix
Fans and players alike will be keeping a close eye on Thursday’s team announcement as Adam Kingsley and his coaching staff weigh up their best 23 for Saturday’s clash at Adelaide Oval.
With no fresh injuries reported, the coaching group has a stable platform to work from following their 28-point win last weekend in Gather Round, but that doesn’t guarantee there won’t be movement at the selection table.
Xavier O’Halloran will be looking to return to the team after being replaced late Sunday morning by Toby McMullin (sub), while emergencies James Leake and Cody Angove may be considered for selection.
While there was a league-wide VFL bye last week for Gather Round, plenty of GIANTS players have also been performing well in the VFL in recent weeks to push their case for AFL selection.
Team Selection
The GIANTS will name their team for round six at 6:20pm on Thursday via gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report
Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.
Where To Watch
The clash with the Crows will be shown live nationally on Fox Footy and Kayo from 4pm, as well as delayed coverage on 7mate and 7plus from 6pm in NSW and the ACT as part of Super Saturdays on Fox. Click here for more info on the AFL’s broadcast deal for 2025.
