The GIANTS travel to Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday looking to respond after a heartbreaking four-point loss in round three, taking on a Brisbane side also searching for a return to form. 

AFLW – Round 4 

Brisbane Lions v GIANTS 
Saturday, September 5 at 6:35pm 
Brighton Homes Arena 

What It Means for the GIANTS    

The GIANTS will be eager to return to the winners' list after suffering a heartbreaking four-point loss to Yartapuulti in Canberra last weekend. In a contest that featured 10 lead changes, including four in a frantic final term, the GIANTS rallied late to kick four of the last five goals to snatch the lead before Power young gun Lauren Young's late major secured victory for the visitors. 

Having shown their ability to fight back under pressure, the GIANTS will be looking to channel that resilience into a four-quarter performance against Brisbane, determined to tidy up their discipline after Yartapuulti capitalised on key opportunities late in the match. 

Former Lions premiership captain Emma Zielke will face her old club for the first time in her role as the GIANTS' inaugural full-time AFLW Assistant Coach, while premiership defender Poppy Boltz comes up against her former teammates as she continues her impressive first season in orange and charcoal. 

A win would see the GIANTS move to 2-2 on the season and quickly put last week's disappointment behind them and build some momentum ahead of next week’s Derby.  

The Opposition    

Brisbane also enters round four looking to rebound after a difficult outing against Narrm, with last week's 56-point defeat marking the biggest loss in the club's AFLW history. 

The Lions sit 12th on the ladder with one win and two losses from their opening three matches, while a growing injury list has added to the challenges faced by Craig Starcevich's side early in the season. 

Despite their position, Brisbane remains a team capable of responding quickly – having built a reputation as one of the competition's strongest clubs over recent years and they’ll be eager to get their campaign back on track on Saturday. 

Recent History   

While the sides have not met in a home-and-away fixture since round seven of the 2022 season, they did face off in a pre-season hit-out ahead of the 2026 campaign. 

The GIANTS pushed Brisbane to the brink in that clash, leading late before the Lions snatched a five-point victory with the final kick of the game. 

Having gone toe-to-toe with one of the competition's perennial contenders only weeks ago, the team in orange and charcoal will take confidence into Saturday’s clash as they look to reverse the pre-season result at Brighton Homes Arena. 

Key Match Up:  

Two of the competition's most productive midfielders will go head-to-head when Alyce Parker and Isabel Dawes meet in round four. 

Parker has made an immediate impact after missing almost the entire 2025 campaign through injury, re-establishing herself as a key figure in the GIANTS' engine room. 

The vice-captain collected 21 disposals and five clearances against Yartapuulti and is averaging 23.3 disposals and 7.3 clearances through the opening three rounds. Her ability to win first possession and generate territory from stoppage has been a feature of the GIANTS' midfield group early. 

Dawes enters the contest in similarly strong form following a career-best 2025 campaign.  

The Brisbane midfielder is averaging 19.3 disposals and three clearances so far this season and has continued to build her influence around the ball. Against Narrm last week, she also hit the scoreboard, underlining her ability to impact both through the midfield and in attack. 

With Parker ranked among the GIANTS' leading ball-winners and Dawes playing a central role in Brisbane's midfield mix, their influence around stoppages and contested possessions is likely to shape where the game is played.  

GIANTS Player to Watch: Poppy Boltz 

Few players will have more insight into the opposition than Poppy Boltz when the GIANTS take on Brisbane on Saturday night. 

Boltz spent the first three seasons of her AFLW career with the Lions, playing 28 games and being part of the club's 2023 premiership-winning side before making the move south ahead of the 2026 campaign. 

The defender has quickly established herself in orange and charcoal and enters round four in strong form after collecting a career-best 17 disposals against Yartapuulti last weekend. Her knowledge of Brisbane's system and personnel could prove invaluable as the GIANTS look to return to the winners' list. 

Team Selection:    

The GIANTS will name their round four team to take on the Lions at 6:20pm on Thursday at gwsgiants.com.au.   

Rehab Report:     

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