The GIANTS will be looking to make it two from two to start 2020 when they take on the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston on Saturday. It will be the GIANTS’ first-ever AFL Women’s game on the Apple Isle, but the team will be full of confidence after notching their first round-one win ever – in what was also their first home round one fixture in the competition’s four years.
The Details
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos v GIANTS
Saturday, February 15 at 3.10pm AEDT
University of Tasmania Stadium, Launceston
The Game
The GIANTS, who had to slog it out in atrocious weather against the Gold Coast Suns in the season-opener, will be on a high after claiming the four points and will be looking to extend their unbeaten start to the season, while the Kangaroos are chasing their first win after going down in a close game against the Melbourne Demons.
The GIANTS were hurt by their inefficiency in front of goal in the tricky conditions at Blacktown, smashing the Suns in the inside-50 count (26-8), but managing only one more scoring shot than their opposition in the one-point win. But signs were promising for the GIANTS’ forward line, led by the returning Rebecca Privitelli who is going to be a tough prospect for defenders to outmark in 2020.
Composure will be key as the GIANTS look to reward the good work occurring up the ground. Alyce Parker and Alicia Eva hold the key in the midfield: they handled the conditions better than anyone in round one and both look set for strong seasons. The GIANTS will have their work cut out for them against the strong Kangaroos line-up, with North Melbourne again flag fancies in 2020.
While the GIANTS made it through their first hitout for the season unscathed, the Roos will be without Daria Bannister, who fractured her left clavicle in a tackle late in their opening round clash.
The Key Points
- The GIANTS and Kangaroos have met only once before, with the expansion side prevailing on a stormy night in Drummonye last year. The GIANTS will be keen to return the favour and claim an away victory.
- The GIANTS’ defence will again look to starve the opposition of opportunities. Coach Alan McConnell was disappointed with the GIANTS’ structures in the first half against the Suns, highlighting the threat the opposition posed every time they got the ball in their forward 50. However, the GIANTS did well to restrict the Suns to just eight inside-50s for the match, and held them scoreless after half-time. This came just a couple of weeks after the GIANTS held the Brisbane Lions to just three behinds in a practice match.
- The GIANTS will need to be ready for another physical encounter on Saturday. North Melbourne racked up 82 tackles against Melbourne, the most of any team in the competition in round one.
- The ruck battle will be one to watch. With the GIANTS using Erin McKinnon and Jess Allan around the ground and Ingrid Nielsen in forward stoppages the GIANTS won a round-high 40 hitouts. North Melbourne also won the hitout count in their game 21-15.
Who to Watch
Rebecca Privitelli announced her comeback to the AFLW stage taking a game-high six marks despite slippery conditions against the Suns in round one. Although she didn’t have the impact on the scoreboard she would have liked, Privitelli looked confident, fit and very capable and will be keen to convert that into scoreboard impact against the Kangaroos.
How to Watch
The match will be broadcast live on 7Mate in NSW and the ACT, and can be watched on Foxtel or the Kayo App with a subscription. All AFL Women’s matches will also be streamed live via womens.afl and the AFLW Official App.
