Exciting small forward Josaia Delana is one of six inclusions to the GIANTS’ VFL side for Sunday’s clash with the Suns, while the GIANTS have also named three club debutants for their first games in orange and charcoal.
Delana returns to the VFL side after playing as the sub for the AFL side in last week’s win over the Lions, while newcomers Liam McCarthy, Alex Swinnerton, and Mitchell Blow will make their GIANTS debuts.
Signed from the club’s Albury VFL Hub earlier this year, McCarthy is a mature-aged utility who was the runner-up in the 2024 Crathern Medal awarded to AFL Cairns’ best player.
An elite kick and possessing a strong footy IQ, McCarthy played over 100 games for Colac in the Geelong Football League and also played for Geelong’s VFL side in 2022.
Meanwhile Swinnerton, a small forward train-on with the club’s Albury Hub, will not only play his first game in GIANTS colours on Sunday, but will make his VFL debut against the Suns.
Joining him in his maiden VFL outing is Blow, a key forward hailing from the Pennant Hills Demons who will look to sure up the side’s forward stocks in the absence of the injured Nathan Wardius.
Also added to Sunday’s team is Noah Bradshaw who enters for his second VFL game of the season, as well as Taine Moraschi who will play his first game of the year in GIANTS colours.
Meanwhile Conor Stone will miss from last week’s side, with the rebounding defender sidelined after scans confirmed he has an incomplete fracture in his navicular which he suffered in last week’s VFL clash with the Lions.
Also exiting last week’s side is Ryan Angwin (AFL), Marc Sheather (ankle), Izaac Hughes, Riley Hamilton, and Tom McCaffrey (omitted).
Sitting at 7-4 on the season, the GIANTS will look to cement their place inside the top six when they host the Gold Coast Suns at 9:15am at ENGIE Stadium on Sunday morning.
Sunday's game was originally scheduled to be played at Blacktown International SportsPark at 9:30am on Sunday but has since been changed to ENGIE Stadium.
VFL ROUND 13
GIANTS v Gold Coast Suns
Sunday, June 22 at 9:15am
ENGIE Stadium | Wangal Country
B: Ryan Hebron, Wade Derksen, Harper Montgomery
HB: Josh Fahey, Harry Oliver, James Leake
C: Will Shaw, Louie Montgomery, Billy McGee Galimberti
HF: James Lugsdin, Josaia Delana, Alex Swinnerton
FF: Lachlan Keeffe, Hugo Birks, Max Gruzewski
RR: Logan Smith, Jacob Wehr, Toby McMullin
Interchange: Noah Bradshaw, Perry Lewis-Smith, Mitchell Blow, Liam McCarthy, Taine Moraschi
In: Josaia Delana, Noah Bradshaw, Taine Moraschi, Liam McCarthy, Alex Swinnerton (debut), Mitchell Blow (debut)
Out: Ryan Angwin (AFL), Conor Stone, Marc Sheather (injured), Izaac Hughes, Riley Hamilton, Tom McCaffrey (omitted)
