Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka hosts a huge first round of AFLW, with the GIANTS looking to make a statement on Saturday afternoon.
AFLW ROUND 1
GIANTS v Bombers
Saturday, August 16 at 5:35pm
Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka | Ngunnawal Country
What It Means For The GIANTS
2025 marks the longest season in AFLW history, with 12 home-and-away matches over 12 weeks, meaning the GIANTS will play more teams than in previous years but also making each opportunity to secure four-points as crucial as the next.
The GIANTS will be looking to send a message to the competition that speaks to their intention this season, to compete across the ground, play faster transition football and spotlight their run and carry.
Off the back of a pre-season that focused on high intensity running and conditioning training, the GIANTS will be out to showcase a new-look side, with eight new faces added to the squad in 2025 and three already announced to debut on Saturday.
Having returned to GIANTS HQ in February and begun official pre-season in May, the GIANTS are energised to commence their run in 2025 and test an evolved, high-octane game plan against the Bombers.
With no previous meetings between the sides, the GIANTS will be eager to run out the legs and test their mettle against a strong opposition, with Essendon finishing eighth in the league in 2024.
The Opposition
The Bombers were amongst the final AFL clubs to enter into the AFLW competition, joining alongside the Hawks, Power and Swans in the first 18-team 2022 (S7) edition of the league.
The Bombers tasted relative success early, finishing their first season just above the GIANTS on the ladder, in tenth, off the back of the efforts of star recruits, 2020 AFLW Best and Fairest Madison Prespakis and premiership winner Bonnie Toogood.
Tenth place set the benchmark for the Bombers, who have not finished outside the eight since the first season and will look to better their efforts in 2025.
Play focuses on winning the ball in the midfield through their star combination of Georgia Nanscawen and Prespakis and playing inside 50 to the aerial advantage of Toogood, one of the league’s most damaging forwards.
Nanscawen and Prespakis form a lethal on-ball combination, both finishing in the top five of the AFLW’s Best and Fairest count in 2024. The GIANTS will look to break down their corridor play and create contests in the air to counter the Bombers threat overhead.
The Bombers will be without number one ruck Steph Wales - with the rising star one of the game’s strongest - having been ruled out of the season by an ACL injury sustained late last year.
The injury gives the GIANTS an advantage around stoppages, with two strong roving ruckwomen available to play in Eilish O’Dowd and Grace Kos, both with the power to break through contests to begin the GIANTS offence.
Key Match Up: How Good Is Toogood?
Though the Bombers’ captain Bonnie Toogood had an interrupted 2024 campaign, sustaining both an MCL tear and a syndesmosis injury, the star forward will be looking to send the message that she is back at her best.
She shapes as a mouthwatering match-up against GIANTS vice-captain Katherine Smith.
The lockdown defender has claimed some of the competition’s best scalps, playing oversized against key forwards since her club debut for the GIANTS in 2021.
Smith enters her tenth AFLW season in peak form, with the leader registering a slate of personal bests across the pre-season in the gym and on the track and will likely add Toogood to her trophy cabinet.
Though a 15cm height difference separates them, Smith’s ability to compete in marking contests and commence the GIANTS running attack with halfback link Cambridge McCormick makes this battle too good to not pay attention too.
GIANTS Player To Watch: Tarni Evans
Delivering a personal best in the GIANT Mile on day one of pre-season, Tarni Evans has been a benchmark performer in the lead-in to the 2025 season.
A product of both AFL Canberra and AFL South Coast, Evans was drafted to the GIANTS in 2020, landing in Western Sydney through the GIANTS Academy.
Originally selected for her defensive abilities and establishing herself as one of the best intercepting defenders in the league, Evans made the switch forward through the 2024 season and has trained as a key leading target inside the GIANTS attacking 50 through the 2025 preseason.
Notching nine majors in 11 matches last year, Evans will be looking to build on her tally in 2025 and performing an important pressure role to nullify the Bombers aerial game.
Elected again to the GIANTS leadership group, the promising forward shapes as a crucial cog in the GIANTS attacking line-up, as they place a significant focus on scoring more through S10.
In The Mix
The GIANTS have already named three debutants this week, with draftees Sara Howley and Grace Martin listed to play their first games at AFLW level and new face Eleanor Brown making her club debut, following two years away from the game.
Grace Kos, Caitlin Fletcher and Sophie Kavanagh are all in line and available to make their AFLW debuts against the Bombers.
Team Selection
The GIANTS will name their team to take on the Suns at 6:20pm on Thursday at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report
Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.
Where To Watch
Saturday clash will be shown live and free in NSW and the ACT on Channel 7 and 7plus from 5:30pm, as well as nationally on Fox Sports 3, Kayo and BINGE from 5:30pm.
