The GIANTS will look to celebrate a special milestone in winning fashion on Sunday but in order to do so they’ll have to overcome a Kangaroos side firing on all cylinders.
GIANTS vs Kangaroos
Sunday, April 26 at 4.40pm
Corroboree Group Oval, Manuka, Canberra | Ngunnawal Country
What It Means for the GIANTS
The GIANTS head to Canberra for the first time this season on Sunday, for a game that really needs to be won after four losses in the last five weeks.
The club has a mixed run at its second home over the last few seasons, winning six of the nine games it has played there under coach Adam Kingsley.
Last year the GIANTS lost to Fremantle and Port Adelaide before beating North Melbourne on their way to clinching a spot in the top eight.
They head into this match off a disappointing loss to the Swans, a game that could have turned out very differently if not for a horrible night in front of goal.
Clayton Oliver was strong in the contest, Lachie Ash provided his usual run, and Phoenix Gothard scored a Rising Star nomination after the best of his six games so far.
The inaccuracy was a killer, though missing the firepower of Jesse Hogan, Aaron Cadman, and Brent Daniels, the team generated more than enough opportunities and managed 26 shots on goal.
The Opposition
The Kangaroos have made their best start to a season in some time, winning four of their first six matches – and three in a row - to start round seven in fifth spot on the ladder.
North beat the injury-ravaged Richmond by 75 points on Sunday, setting up their big win by scoring 10.3 to the Tigers’ 2.12 in the opening half.
Paul Curtis kicked a career-high six goals in the win, including three in the opening term, with tall forwards Nick Larkey and Cooper Trembath combining for five.
Harry Sheezel and Luke Davies-Uniacke were prolific as was Colby McKercher, who switched spots with Cam Zurhaar and spent the day roaming the forward line while Zurhaar joined veterans Luke Parker and Caleb Daniel in getting the ball moving from defence.
Their side for this weekend will be further strengthened by the likely return of talented youngster Finn O’Sullivan from a fractured jaw, and ruckman Tristan Xerri from suspension.
Recent History
The GIANTS will be chasing their fifth straight win over North Melbourne on Sunday, having not lost to the Roos since round two of the 2020 season – a game that was played coming off the Covid break.
The teams drew the next year in Hobart, but since then the GIANTS have had four reasonably comfortable wins.
The last time they met was not too long ago, with the GIANTS winning by 53 points in Canberra in round 22 last season to inch closer to a top eight spot.
The GIANTS kicked 5.0 in the first quarter and stretched their lead to six goals at half-time to set up a much brighter day, though the Roos did hang in there all the way through.
With Jesse Hogan missing, Callum Brown kicked a career-best five goals and Aaron Cadman scored four, with Jake Stringer and Toby Greene adding three apiece.
Tom Green and Finn Callaghan dominated the midfield battle, with Trembath kicking three goals on debut for the Roos, who were without the injured Larkey and suspended Curtis.
Key Match Up: Connor Idun vs Paul Curtis
Paul Curtis has started the season in strong form for North Melbourne, kicking at least a goal a game in the first six rounds and 13 for the season so far.
Curtis can be a tricky match up, agile at ground level with good instincts close to goal, but also strong overhead.
Idun is a player who prides himself on winning one-on-one contests and shapes as an ideal match-up for the North forward.
GIANTS Player to Watch: Toby Greene
He is already well entrenched in GIANTS folklore, but Toby Greene will add another achievement to an already long list on Sunday.
The skipper will take over Callan Ward’s place as the most capped GIANT against the Roos, when he runs out for the 268th time.
Greene has been there since the very beginning, picked with number 11 in the GIANTS’ first national draft in 2011 out of the Oakleigh Chargers and Wesley College.
Incredibly, he was the ninth player picked up by the club that night, after Jon Patton, Stephen Coniglio, Dom Tyson, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Matt Buntine, Nick Haynes, Adam Tomlinson, and Liam Sumner.
He’s one of just eight players still going from that draft, alongside Taylor Adams, Elliot Yeo, Joel Hamling, Bradley Hill, Lachie Neale, Jed Bews, and Coniglio.
Greene will sit above Ward, Lachie Whitfield (263 games), Coniglio (232), Josh Kelly (230), Nick Haynes (211), Harry Himmelberg (207), and Phil Davis (174) on the list.
In The Mix:
The GIANTS look likely to be bolstered by some very handy ‘ins’ this week.
Hogan, a late withdrawal from the Swans game last week with a corked quad, is on track to return to the side on Sunday.
Cadman will make his way out of concussion protocols and back into the forward line, with Stephen Coniglio also being set to play.
The management of Brent Daniels’ return from a hamstring injury saw him miss the Swans game, but he will be back in action too.
The GIANTS lost their first VFL game for the season against the Swans, but a number of players still managed to put their hands up for senior consideration.
Jack Ough was as busy as ever, Conor Stone provided plenty of run, James Leake competed hard and Harry Oliver had 30 disposals in his first game for the year.
Kieren Briggs is also ready to go should the coaches rejig the ruck set-up but Joe Fonti will need to be replaced after he received a one-week suspension.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name their squad to take on the Roos on Thursday at 6:20pm at gwsgiants.com.au with the final side to then be announced on Friday at 5pm.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Sunday’s match here.
