All eyes turn to Henson Park for a fierce Sydney Derby.
AFLW - Round 5
Swans v GIANTS
Sunday, September 13 at 2:35pm
Henson Park, Sydney | Gadigal & Wangal
What It Means for the GIANTS
Currently sitting at 1-3 despite playing some solid football across the first four rounds, the GIANTS have the perfect opportunity to spark their season when they take on the crosstown rival in front of what’s sure to be a vocal crowd at Henson Park.
The GIANTS will be hoping to recreate history on Sunday in Sydney Derby V as they look to replicate last year’s epic win in which they defied their underdog status to run out 7.7 (49) to 6.6 (42) winners in a fiery Derby at a packed-out Henson Park.
The GIANTS will enter Sunday's Derby coming off a brave 31-point loss to the Lions in which they fought valiantly but were ultimately beaten by a more mature side, with Brisbane running out 7.13 (55) to 3.6 (24) winners at home.
In last week’s loss many areas of the GIANTS’ game was in strong order and they’ll be hoping to replicate that on Sunday, with Cam Bernasconi’s side winning the count for disposals, clearance, contested possession, and uncontested possession despite falling five goals short. In order to take down the Swans, the GIANTS must keep those metrics in the green while improving their ability to convert clearance and contested possession into inside 50s and scoreboard impact. This was an area that let the GIANTS down against Brisbane, losing the inside 50 battle 40-29 and going at just 34 per cent efficiency inside 50 compared to the Lions’ 55 per cent.
Aiding their mission to beat the Swans is the strong form of many key GIANTS entering the Derby, with midfield duo Alyce Parker and Rebecca Beeson starring against the Lions, while defensive trio Tilly-Lucas Rodd, Cambridge McCormick, and Poppy Boltz continue to provide plenty of drive out of defence.
While they haven't gotten the results they’ve been after in the last three weeks, the GIANTS have still been strong in large patches throughout that time to show that their best is more than capable of upsetting their more fancied opponents on Sunday.
The Opposition
While the Swans enter the Derby sitting fifth on the ladder they’ll be eager to bounce back with a big performance after suffering their first loss of the season last week, falling by 27 points to the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval.
The Swans led a seesawing affair by four points at the final break but were overrun late as the home side kicked the final six goals to run out 9.6 (60) to 5.3 (33) winners.
Prior to last week’s defeat the Swans opened their 2026 campaign with three straight wins, taking down the Crows, Bombers, and Saints to put themselves firmly in the mix of the top four.
An area the Swans will need to clean up ahead of Sunday's big clash is their contested ball and clearance game, with the Swans destroyed by the Dogs in both areas, losing contested possession 147-101 and clearances 33-18. As mentioned above, these are two areas that the GIANTS were strong in last week against the Lions.
Making it tougher to bounce back in their clearance and contest game is that fact that the Swans will be without star ruck Ally Morphett, who will miss through a one-week suspension for striking. They’ll also be without key defender Lexi Hamilton who will also miss via suspension. The Swans’ ability to cover the loss of Morphett and Hamilton will be key to Sunday’s result, as will the performances of the likes of key players Chloe Molloy, Laura Gardiner, Montana Ham, and Zippy Fish, who will no doubt be crucial to the Swans’ chances of a Derby win.
The Swans could regain marquee recruit Taylor Smith who is looking to overcome a wrist injury, while skipper Lucy McEvoy is hoping to overcome an ankle injury suffered in last week’s loss to the Dogs.
Recent History
If history is anything to go by then Sunday’s clash will be a thriller, with three of the four AFLW Sydney Derbies to date decided by an average margin of just five points.
The GIANTS won the inaugural Derby in 2022 before the Swans bounced back to win the next two. The GIANTS then evened the ledger with a gutsy seven-point win in last year’s clash.
Deadlocked at 2-2, Sydney Derby V will see one side jump clear and hold bragging rights for the next year.
Key Match Up: Young Talent Time
Shaping as one of the key match ups in this week’s Derby is the ruck battle which could see two young talents with less than 10 games of combined AFLW experience face off.
Across the first four rounds the GIANTS have been well served by exciting first-year ruck Yasmeen Janshek who has impressed with her athleticism and ability to make an impact at ground level.
The 20-year-old GIANTS Academy product is averaging eight disposals, 16 hit outs, and almost five tackles per game in a strong start to her career.
With the Swans missing star ruck Ally Morphett through suspension, Janshek’s opponent will likely come in the form of teenager Maddie Quinn who is also just four games into her career. While drafted and utilised as a key forward, Quinn has also served as Morphett’s back up to start the season.
If Quinn is tasked with being the Swans’ number one ruck on Sunday, then the exciting contest between two emerging youngsters could prove critical to who claims Sydney Derby V.
GIANTS Player to Watch: Tilly Lucas-Rodd
Tilly Lucas-Rodd has played almost 100 games of AFLW but on Sunday they will do something they are yet to tick off – feature in a Sydney Derby.
A star of the competition and a newcomer to the GIANTS in 2026, the Hawks’ inaugural AFLW skipper swapped the brown and gold for orange and charcoal in the summer via the 2025 AFLW Trade Period.
Added to the GIANTS’ leadership group before having even played a game for the club, Lucas-Rodd has wasted no time in making an impact both on and off their field in their brief time with the club.
Playing mostly across half back, Lucas-Rodd has collected 20 or more disposals in three of the first four games to play an important role in turning defence into attack for Cam Bernasconi’s side.
A player who thrives in the big moments, expect Luca-Rodd to have a major say in the outcome of Sunday’s game as they look to make it a successful maiden Sydney Derby.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name this week’s extended squad at 6:20pm on Thursday and then the final team on Friday at 5pm at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Sunday’s match here.
