The GIANTS will look to get their rollercoaster season back on track when they host the Bombers on Saturday afternoon.  

AFL Round 9 
 
GIANTS vs Bombers  
Saturday, May 9 at 4.15pm 
ENGIE Stadium | Wangal Country 

What It Means for the GIANTS  

It has been a bumpy start to the season for the GIANTS, with a lot of hard work and grind amounting to just the three wins so far from their eight games.  

This is not unusual for this squad at this time of year, when the weeks on the road start to mount up, but the GIANTS need a good result this week to stay in touch with the top half of the ladder, and more importantly they need to find some good form. 

Sunday night’s loss to the Gold Coast left the side stuck in 14th spot on the ladder, two games clear of the bottom four but two games adrift of the top six. 

The GIANTS have had short periods of struggle previously under Adam Kinglsey’s tenure but have always ultimately come good and been there in September when the whips are cracking. While finals footy is a while away, the GIANTS need to start kicking into gear and getting wins on the board, starting with Saturday against the Bombers.  

The GIANTS will be hoping the likes of Clayton Oliver and Finn Callaghan can continued their starring seasons in the middle on Saturday, while Aaron Cadman continues to show he’s on the verge of becoming the league’s next superstars up forward. 

The Opposition   

Essendon have notched just one win from their eight games so far, upsetting the Demons a few weeks back before losses to Collingwood and the Lions. 

Blown away early by Brisbane on the weekend, they worked their way back into the game during the second quarter only to concede six straight goals from the start of the third quarter to end up losing by 64 points. 

Essendon struggled to contain the Lions’ uncontested marking game and were overwhelmed by the number of threats in their forward line, with Zac Bailey, Logan Morris, Kai Lohmann, Cam Rayner, Conor McKenna, and Charlie Cameron all scoring multiple goals. 

Nate Caddy kicked three of his own for Essendon and has been the Bombers’ most consistent forward all season, with Peter Wright also in decent form.  

Zach Merrett and Archie Roberts have been big ball winners, while they have been taking a good look at youngsters such as Jacob Farrow, Dyson Sharp, and Sullivan Robey. 

Recent History  

The GIANTS have won seven of their last 10 games against the Bombers, stretching back to round one, 2019. 

The last time they met was at Marvel Stadium in round 20 last year, with the GIANTS winning by 48 points as part of their strong run to finish the home and away season. 

Jake Stringer kicked three goals in his first game against his former side, but the scoring load was shared, with 10 players combining to kick 16 goals for the game. 

Tom Green topped the coaches votes from the game with a perfect 10, with Harry Himmelberg, Kieren Briggs, Connor Idun, and Finn Callaghan also among the best. 

Liam McMahon scored two goals on debut for the Bombers, with Merrett, Isaac Kako, and Jordan Ridley among their better players. 

Key Match Up: Jayden Laverde vs Nate Caddy 

Jayden Laverde was wearing red and black the last time these teams met, and in fact found himself as the stepladder to a big Jake Stringer mark. 

“That’ll be my wallpaper for the next six weeks,” Stringer said after the game. 

Laverde will be taking on more old teammates this time around, with Caddy among the Essendon forwards he is likely to cross paths with during the game. 

The athletic 20-year-old has kicked 15 goals this year, as part of a forward line also featuring marking targets Peter Wright, Kyle Langford, and Archie May. 

GIANTS Player to Watch: Aaron Cadman 

Cadman’s return from injury has been a major positive of the last few weeks, with the young gun forward picking up where he left off last year (despite a week off with concussion). 

The 22-year-old has kicked nine goals in his first three games for the season after overcoming the first real injury of his career, playing with energy and spirit. 

Cadman’s athleticism and ability to launch at the ball was on show during his two-goal game against the Suns, as was his defensive pressure and high effort. 

After somewhat of a breakout campaign last year, Cadman continues to show he’s one of the league’s most exciting young key forwards.  

In The Mix:   

Replacements will unfortunately need to be found for Ryan Angwin, whose career-best season will be interrupted by a week in concussion protocols, and Leek Aleer, who hurt his ankle early in the loss to the Suns and is expected to miss one or two games. 

Jesse Hogan’s availability will be determined later in the week, when his sore hip will be tested. 

The GIANTS put in a strong team performance at VFL level over the weekend, with plenty of players including Harry Rowston, Conor Stone, Toby McMullin, Jake Riccardi and Max Gruzewski putting their hand up for a recall. 

Youngsters Harry Oliver, Oskar Taylor, and Jack Ough also put in strong performances as they push for their AFL debuts.  

Team Selection:  

The GIANTS will name their squad to take on the Bombers on Thursday at 6:20pm at gwsgiants.com.au.  

Rehab Report:   

Get a full injury update ahead of Saturday’s match here.