GIANTS fans will get their first look at the 2026 AFLW line-up in a match-up with the Bulldogs. 

AFLW – Practice Match 
 

GIANTS v Bulldogs 
Sunday, July 26 at 2:35pm 
Henson Park | Gadigal Country 

What It Means for the GIANTS    

Having shaken off the cobwebs with match simulations against the Lions and Suns in recent weeks, the GIANTS have shown significant strides through their pre-season and look a team renewed.  

With 16 time trial PBs, four draftees raring to perform, and two high profile off-season recruits in Tilly Lucas-Rodd and Poppy Boltz already having an impact, there’s a different air about the 2026 team, as they chase a higher win ratio through their eleventh season in the competition. 

Sunday offers the chance to continue refining their work around stoppages, develop their on-field relationships with new faces, and to move magnets following recent injuries to Zarlie Goldsworthy and Scarlett Johnson. 

Measuring up against a team that finished closer to the middle of the table last season is an important opportunity for the GIANTS to test their progression and finalise their plans leading into round one of the 2026 NAB AFLW season. 

The Opposition    

Finishing 2025 in twelfth, the Bulldogs also enter the 2026 season with plenty of work to do on their contest and stoppage game.  

Notching a win over Geelong in last week’s match simulation, newcomer Mikala Cann, who joined the Bulldogs from Collingwood at the end of last season, looks to have had an immediate impact at her new club.  

By far the standout performer for her side against the Cats, the key onballer was likened to Lionel Messi for her ball movement and footy IQ in the 28-point win.  

An inaugural AFLW side, the Bulldogs found early success but like the GIANTS have struggled to impact the competition in recent years, following the expansion to an 18-team competition.  

With a mix of veteran midfielders like Cann and Ellie Blackburn, and impressive young talent at both ends of the ground, their list has undertaken an important rebuild and they will be a side looking to push for finals in 2026, making them a great yardstick for the GIANTS as they near the season’s commencement.  

Recent History   

The GIANTS standout win of the last two seasons came in round five of last year against the Bulldogs, when the orange and charcoal ran away with the 21-point win thanks to a seven-goal second half.  

The GIANTS head into the practice match with a slight head-to-head advantage and plenty of confidence, thanks in large part to last year’s win and the record-breaking 72-9 win back in round one of 2024.  

It remains the GIANTS’ largest win in their ten-season history, and one they’ll be looking to replicate it on Sunday as they look to bolster their confidence heading into the season. 

Key Match Up: Masters of the Midfield  

With veteran midfielder Ellie Blackburn coming off her sixth best and fairest season for the Bulldogs last year and GIANTS captain Bec Beeson finishing just behind Zarlie Goldsworthy as the GIANTS Gabrielle Trainor Medallist, both players continue to lead their sides from the middle.  

Both inaugural, and one club AFLW players, Beeson and Blackburn will do battle through the middle of the ground, working as anchors for the fast, attacking play style each team worked to establish last season.  

Beeson will enjoy the renewed company of Alyce Parker partnering her in the centre, after Parker was kept to just one half of football last season. It’s an important pairing and may be the difference, with midfield depth a void the Bulldogs struggled to fill last season.  

While Zarlie Goldsworthy stepped into the role in Parker’s absence, the former All Australian’s return shores up the GIANTS midfield stocks, making them a more competitive outfit through the centre.  

GIANTS Player to Watch: Brodee Mowbray 

One of the GIANTS’ biggest improvers through 2025, Sydney local Brodee Mowbray has grown from strength to strength through the pre-season and looks to be back in the fearless form she showed last season.  

Originally from Camden in southwest Sydney, Mowbray’s toughness has been touted throughout the league and has earned her the mantle of one of the game’s hardest outside midfielders.  

Mowbray spent more time on the ball last season, but may return to her regular running role, deployed as an extra around contests or adding speed and space on the wing. 

Team Selection:    

The GIANTS will name their side on Friday at 4:30pm at gwsgiants.com.au. 

Rehab Report:     

Get a full injury update ahead Sunday’s match here.