The GIANTS have made six changes to their side for Saturday’s finals-shaping VFL clash with the Gold Coast Suns on Saturday.

Played as a curtain closer to the AFL side’s Expansion Cup, the GIANTS’ VFL team will welcome in Liam McCarthy, Mackenzie Allen, Ethan Matthews, Sam McMeeken, Alex Swinnerton, and Jesse Hart on Saturday.

Hart, a key back who has been playing for the Lavington Panthers in the Ovens and Murray Football League and training with the GIANTS’ Albury VFL Hub, will make his VFL debut on Saturday against the Suns.

With Hart’s inclusion the GIANTS will feature five players from their Albury VFL Hub in Saturday’s crunch game on the Gold Coast.

The host of changes come with the loss of four AFL-listed GIANTS for this week’s big VFL clash, with Max Gruzewski and Jacob Wehr both named in the AFL side, while Nathan Wardius (knee) and Phoenix Gothard (adductor) will miss through injury.

Jace McQuade and Brody Kane are the other changes, with the pair omitted.

The GIANTS will feature just seven AFL-listed players in Saturday’s round 21 clash, with a host of local talent and Albury VFL Hub talent making up most of the side.

Fresh off the bye and into the final round of the VFL home and away season, the result of Saturday’s game will have huge ramifications on whether the GIANTS will guarantee themselves a place in this year’s VFL finals series or whether they’ll have to win their way into post-season action via the cutthroat Wildcard Round.

Currently sitting in 9th spot, the GIANTS could finish as high as 5th if they beat the Suns on Saturday and other results go their way, or as low as 10th if they’re to go down to the Suns.

The structure of the VFL finals series sees the top six sides at the completion of the home and away season automatically locked in for finals, while 7th and 10th, and 8th and 9th, will face off in a pair of sudden death matches next week in order to qualify for the last two finals spots.

Saturday’s big game will get under way at 3:45pm at People First Stadium following the huge AFL clash between the two clubs.

VFL ROUND 21 

Suns v GIANTS 
Saturday, August 16 at 3:45pm 
People First Stadium | Yugambeh Country

B: Harper Montgomery, Lachlan Keeffe, Liam McCarthy 
HB: Jesse Hart, Harry Oliver, Billy McGee Galimberti
C: Ethan Matthews, Josh Fahey, Perry Lewis-Smith 
HF: James Lugsdin, Josaia Delana, Taine Moraschi
FF: Alex Swinnerton, Ryan Hebron, Logan Smith
RR: Nick Madden, James Leake, Noah Bradshaw 

Interchange: Mackenzie Allen, Sam McMeeken, Izaac Hughes, Riley Hamilton, Jaiden Butson

In: Liam McCarthy, Mackenzie Allen, Ethan Matthews, Sam McMeeken, Alex Swinnerton, Jesse Hart (debut)
Out: Max Gruzewski, Jacob Wehr (AFL), Nathan Wardius, Phoenix Gothard (injured), Jace McQuade, Brody Kane (omitted)