Old foes clash under the roof of Marvel Stadium as both sides look to follow on from their impressive statement wins in Opening Round.
Bulldogs vs GIANTS
Saturday, March 14 at 1:15pm
Marvel Stadium | Wurundjeri Country
What It Means for the GIANTS
After starting the 2026 season with a fast and hard running five-goal win over the Hawks, this week represents a number of things for the GIANTS.
Clayton Oliver will be looking to consolidate what was a super start for his new team, while Finn Callaghan is building back to full game fitness after an interrupted end to the pre-season.
Jesse Hogan, Jake Riccardi and Jake Stringer combined for 11 goals and will be looking to keep growing their synergy, while the likes of Phoenix Gothard, Joey Delana and Max Gruzweski will be hoping to get another important taste of AFL-level action. Five members of the team that beat the Hawks had played fewer than 25 games.
Most importantly, it’s a chance to start the season 2-0 and win on the road against an opponent that has proved extremely hard to beat in recent years.
The Opposition
The Bulldogs struggled somewhat against top eight sides last year, missing out on finals as a result, but showed genuine mettle in their Opening Round win over the Brisbane Lions.
Down by three goals at three-quarter-time at the Gabba, the Dogs kicked 7.1 to the home side’s 3.7 in the final term to record a memorable five-point win.
Ed Richards was outstanding for the Bulldogs, while Connor Budarick made a splash in his first game for the club. Marcus Bontempelli kicked three goals, with Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton adding two each.
Tim English ran hard all game, with Rory Lobb and Bailey Williams both scoring coaches votes.
Small forward Arty Jones will miss this week’s game with a concussion, with Ryley Sanders, Adam Treloar and defender Ryan Gardner in the mix to return.
Recent History
This section will not make for fun reading.
The GIANTS have struggled against the Bulldogs for some time now, winning just two of their last 12 games stretching back to 2019.
The Dogs have won the past four clashes, including by 88-points late last season, and there are a handful of GIANTS who have beaten the Bulldogs never or just once in several tries.
The GIANTS’ last win over the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium was a good one – 48 points – but came way back in 2017, when it was called Etihad Stadium and Jake Stringer had not moved to Essendon let alone Sydney, and was still wearing red, white and blue.
Bob Murphy, Josh Dunkley, Travis Cloke, Liam Picken and Mitch Wallis were also running around for the Dogs that day, with Bontempelli, Williams, Tom Liberatore and Bailey Dale the only players likely to be there again on Saturday afternoon.
Key Match-Up:
The GIANTS’ midfield had a brilliant day against the Hawks last weekend, with Clayton Oliver’s clean hands dominating the stoppages, Finn Callaghan breaking lines, Harry Rowston continuing his strong finish to last season, Toby Greene taking to his new role and Stephen Coniglio looking lively off the back of his best pre-season in a few years. Meanwhile, Kieren Briggs laid some crunching tackles and more than took it up to Lloyd Meek.
But things will need to go to another level on Saturday.
Tim English scored Brownlow votes in both of the Bulldogs’ game against the GIANTS last season, and their midfield group is one of the strongest in the competition, with Ed Richards, Tom Liberatore, Marcus Bontempelli and the hard running Joel Freijah all players who have given the GIANTS grief in recent match-ups.
If the GIANTS can match it with the Dogs’ brilliant on-ball brigade on Saturday then they’ll give themselves every chance of a rare win over the red, white, and blue.
GIANTS Player to Watch: Jake Stringer
Stringer didn’t start out for the GIANTS until round four last year, but the powerful forward was in the middle of everything during Opening Round, kicking five goals.
After a slightly disjointed 2025 due to injury, Stringer combined perfectly with Jesse Hogan and Jake Riccardi against the Hawks, kicking his biggest haul since joining the club at the end of 2024.
The five-goal tally inched him closer to 400 career goals, which the 31-year-old will hit if he can score three against the first of his two former teams.
In The Mix:
There isn’t much movement on the injury front this week, with last week’s emergencies James Leake, Ollie Hannaford and Nick Madden all ready to go if required.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name their team to take on the Bulldogs on Thursday at 6:20pm at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.
Where To Watch:
The GIANTS’ clash with the Dogs will be shown exclusively live on Fox Footy and Kayo from 1pm, as well as on delay in NSW and the ACT on 7mate and 7plus from 3pm as part of Fox Footy’s Super Saturday.
