Where and when: Optus Stadium, Thursday August 13, 8.10pm AEST
Last time they met: It was a little over a year ago – back in round 20 of the 2019 season – that the GIANTS snuck home with a two-point win. The Swans made the faster start, kicking the first three goals of the game, and they refused to go away after the GIANTS fought their way back into the game, hitting the lead early in the last quarter before goals to Jeremy Finlayson and Jacob Hopper gave the GIANTS just enough breathing room. Isaac Heeney kicked four goals for Sydney, with Ollie Florent, Jake Lloyd and Tom Papley all prominent. Hopper booted three goals for the game and was the GIANTS’ best player, with Zac Williams, Toby Greene, Lachie Whitfield and Nick Haynes important players for a side missing Josh Kelly, Jeremy Cameron and Stephen Coniglio, among others.
TV and online: https://www.afl.com.au/broadcast-guide-premiership
What it means for the GIANTS: It’s another important chance to consolidate a spot in the top eight and start to push even higher up the ladder, as the run home approaches and a three-week stint in Perth starts. The GIANTS won their third consecutive game for the season against Essendon last week – notching three in a row for the first time all year – and worked really hard for the win, grinding it out. But the slow start was a reminder that there is plenty to work on and get right in the remaining six rounds.
Where’s the opposition at? The Swans have started to restock their team with more young players this year and sit second-last on the ladder, with three wins so far. They struggled to keep the ball from Collingwood’s hands in their last game but were far more accurate in front of goal, hung in the game all night and were close enough to almost snatch an unexpected win. In the end they fell by nine points after Josh Daicos snapped a late sealer for the Magpies.
The number: XIX. This will be the 19th Sydney derby, but the very first played away from the home town. After four losses, the GIANTS notched their first win over Sydney way back in round one of 2014; since then they’ve beaten the Swans six more times, winning the last three games against them. That means the Swans still lead the head-to-head count, 11-7.
In the mix: Toby Greene and Matt de Boer remain at least one more game away after suffering hamstring strains against the Gold Coast in round nine. Phil Davis' knee injury isn't as bad as first feared but he still needs to pass a fitness test before lining up against the Swans. His absence might bring Connor Idun or Jake Stein into the mix as a replacement tall defender, though Adam Kennedy is ready to go after his hamstring injury and could come back in should the coaches opt for a smaller back six. Jack Buckley, Jackson Hately, Tom Green, Bobby Hill and Tom Hutchesson have all been in good form at scratch match level and continue to push for a call-up.
In the spotlight: Tim Taranto’s season looked almost entirely shot when he headed in for a shoulder reconstruction back in March. The break worked in his favour, and he used it to do plenty of work. The game against Essendon was Taranto’s fourth match back and his enormous second half was crucial to the GIANTS wrenching back control of the game and going on to notch their four-win point.
