The GIANTS and the Magpies will do battle in a meaningful matchup in the context of both clubs’ seasons.
AFLW - Round 7
Magpies v GIANTS
Sunday, September 27 at 1:05pm
Victoria Park, Melbourne | Wurundjeri
What It Means for the GIANTS
Sunday’s game offers the GIANTS a fantastic opportunity to get some much-needed reward for effort, chasing their second win of the season following some tough losses across the past month.
The GIANTS (1-5) will enter the clash at Victoria Park following arguably their most frustrating performance of the season, an encounter with the Tigers which saw them trail by 37 points after a poor first half before storming home to get within a goal in the dying minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the GIANTS ran out of time, falling to the Tigers by seven points in Canberra.
While unable to complete the comeback, the GIANTS’ brilliant second half showed exactly what they’re capable of when firing on all cylinders. The next step – as it has been for a large portion of the season so far – is displaying that football more consistently across four quarters - an opportunity they’ll have on Sunday when they face off with a Collingwood side yet to taste victory across the first six weeks.
The GIANTS have a host of players in strong form heading into Sunday’s game, with Poppy Boltz, Rebecca Beeson, Cambridge McCormick and Ayce Parker all polling Coaches Votes last week as they all continued their superb campaigns.
An area of their game the GIANTS will be hoping to clean up this week is their ability to transition the ball and give their forwards as a many looks as possible, after registering just 29 inside 50s compared to the Tigers’ 45 last week.
On the plus side, the GIANTS were incredibly efficient going forward, kicking nine straight from their first 18 inside 50s. If they can manage to hit the scoreboard at a similar rate on Sunday, and improve their transition to give their forwards more opportunities, then it will provide the GIANTS a great opportunity for a win on the road.
The Opposition
Collingwood will enter Sunday’s game still searching for their first win, with the Pies sitting at 0-6 following a tough start to their 2026 campaign.
Their most recent outing saw the Pies put in a brave performance against the Cats but ultimately fell by 41 points at Victoria Park.
The clash started with a shootout, with nine goals kicked in a blistering opening term, before the Cats made their move with a six-goal-to-one third quarter to set up the 14.6 (90) to 7.7 (49) win.
A couple key areas of concern that the Pies will be hoping to address on Sunday is their clearance work and their ability to defend uncontested marks. In last week’s loss to the Cats, Collingwood was outscored 44-8 from stoppages, and 30-7 from centre clearances – something they can’t afford a repeat of on Sunday if they’re to claim their maiden win of the season.
Likewise, the Pies have conceded 16 more uncontested marks to their opposition per game this season, ranking them last in the competition. If the Pies can improve in this facet, and make the GIANTS play a live ball game, it’ll certainly help their chances of victory this weekend.
The Pies could get a much-needed boost on Sunday, with skipper Bri Davey pushing to return after the two-time All Australian missed last week’s game with illness.
Recent History
Entering Sunday it’s the Pies with the slight upper hand historically, holding a 3-2 advantage across five total AFLW meetings between the clubs.
The teams have only met once since 2022, a clash came last year when the Pies registered a 4.9 (33) to 4.1 (25) win at Victoria Park – Collingwood’s first AFLW win in 330 days.
Coincidentally, a win for the Pies on Sunday would mark 336 days since their last win.
Key Match Up: Stopping Ruby
While the Pies are yet to sing the song in 2026, it’s been no fault of star Ruby Schleicer who has had a brilliant campaign to date.
An extremely versatile footballer, the dual All Australian has played both down back and in the middle in recent seasons but has added another string to her bow in 2026, playing as a key target ahead of the footy.
Highlighting her impact, Schleicer has kicked at least one goal in each of her five games this year, including a starring 3.4 performance against Carlton a couple of weeks ago.
Whoever the GIANTS task with shutting down Schleicer, their ability to do so could be key to Sunday’s result, with the likes of Caitlin Fletcher, Poppy Boltz, and Cambridge McCormick all potential opponents.
GIANTS Player to Watch: Alicia Eva
Alicia Eva continues to be an invaluable asset to the GIANTS, with her leadership and experience underpinned by some brilliant form across the first half of the 2026 season.
Currently amid her 11th season, the 35-year-old with 85 games of AFLW experience is showing no signs of slowing down, with her commitment to applying pressure on the opposition setting the standard for her side across the first six rounds.
Often a firestarter for her side, Eva’s ability to kick a timely goal or inspire her teammates through a chase down tackle continue to be a hallmark of her game in 2026.
On Sunday she will look to continue her strong campaign when she faces off against a familiar foe, with Eva an inaugural AFLW player with the Pies after spending the 2017 season with Collingwood before moving to the GIANTS the following season.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name this week’s extended squad tonight at 6:20pm and the final team on Friday at 5pm at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Sunday’s match here.
