When and Where: 

Saturday, July 29 at 1:45pm
Mars Stadium, Ballarat | Wadawurrung Country

What it Means for the GIANTS: 

Following six straights wins, the GIANTS now find themselves inside the top eight and looking to create club history against the Bulldogs on Saturday.

On top of the opportunity to cement themselves firmly inside the top eight with just a handful of rounds remaining, the GIANTS could create history with a club-record seventh straight win if they can take down the Dogs in Ballarat.

The GIANTS’ current six-game win streak is just the second time the club has achieved that feat in its history, with an opportunity to break new ground with a win on Saturday.

With the Dogs (5^th) sitting just above the GIANTS (7^th), but both sitting on 10 wins apiece, a win for the Orange Tsunami would see them leapfrog their opponents to finish the round as high as 5^th.

Conversely, with just four points separating 5^th from 11^th on the AFL table, a loss for the GIANTS would likely see them bundle out of the top eight and back into the chasing pack.

Last Time We Met: 

The two fierce rivals last met in round eight in Canberra where it was the Bulldogs who came out on top with a 13.8 (86) to 10.11 (71) win.

After trailing by 33 points at the final break, the GIANTS threatened a miracle comeback with a five goal to two final term, but ultimately fell short by 15 points.

GIANTS’ star Tom Green dominated in the middle despite the loss, with the tough onballer collecting 38 touches to go along with three goals and nine tackles. Teammates Josh Kelly (34 disposals, six tackles), Lachie Whitfield (31 disposals, 10 marks), and Nick Haynes (29 disposals, 12 marks) also had big games.

For the Dogs, Skipper Marcus Bontempelli (32 disposals, two goals, 14 clearances) led from the front with support from Tom Liberatore (29 disposals, one goal) and Jackson Macrae (29 disposals).

Bulldogs spearhead Aaron Naughton (11 disposals, 3.2) had a solid day out against a GIANTS backline missing star defender Sam Taylor, while Jesse Hogan (17 disposals, 2.3, nine marks) played a key role at the other end.

Where’s the opposition at? 

After pushing ladder-leaders Collingwood to the brink just three weeks ago, the Bulldogs rebounded from their disappointing two-point loss to the Swans the following week with a 41-point smashing of Essendon at Marvel Stadium last Friday night.

After trailing by 11 points at the first break, Luke Beveridge’s men found another gear across the final three terms, outscoring the Bombers 12 goals to four to record a comfortable 13.12 (90) to 7.7 (49) win.

Tom Liberatore (36 disposals, 12 clearances) and Marcus Bontempelli (29 disposals, two goals) continued to lead the way in the middle for the Western Bulldogs, while up forward it was Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (15 disposals, seven marks, three goals) and livewire Cody Weightman (three goals) who did the damage.

The Bulldogs (5^th, 10 wins, 106.4%) sit just above the GIANTS (7^th, 10 wins, 102.2%) on the AFL table.

GIANTS Player to Watch: 

GIANTS star Stephen Coniglio continues to fly under the radar and avoid All-Australian discussion despite being in the best form of his almost 12-year career.

The speedy, line-breaking onballer is posting career high averages in several key categories, including disposals (28.6), inside 50s (4.6), score involvements (7.5), and meters gained (425m).

The vice-captain continued his stellar season in the win over the Suns last weekend, finishing with a team-high 29 touches (at 79 per cent efficiency) to go along with a goal and five clearances.

In the Mix: 

The GIANTS are unlikely to change too much from a winning formula that saw them easily account for the Gold Coast by 40 points last week. With star onballer Tom Green (hamstring) and key forward Jesse Hogan (quad) both still unavailable, it leaves Lachlan Keefe as the only regular as a chance to break into the side after overcoming his hamstring injury. Conor Stone (13 disposals, three goals) however did his selection chances no harm after a solid outing in the VFL last week. James Peatling would have been well and truly in the conversation for an AFL recall with a huge game in the VFL, however a concussion suffered late in the game has ruled him out of contention.

VFL:

Bye

Rehab Report:

Get a full injury update ahead Saturday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs here.

Where to watch: 

Saturday’s match will be shown live on Fox Footy and Kayo nationally and on Channel 7 in NSW and the ACT from 1.30pm.

Toby Greene has inspired an almighty comeback as the GIANTS toppled the Western Bulldogs in a thriller by five points to claim a vital victory in the race for a finals spot.

The GIANTS, who secured their seventh straight win for the first time in club history, trailed by 35 points early in the third quarter before their skipper booted four goals in the term and then the go-ahead goal in a tense last quarter as the GIANTS prevailed 11.12 (78) to 10.13 (73) at Mars Stadium in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon.

Greene's fifth goal, from Jake Riccardi's clever tap to his advantage, put the GIANTS ahead with 5:58 remaining, before Brent Daniels converted a set shot from a tough angle with 4:51 left to open up an 11-point lead.

But the Dogs kept coming, with Bailey Dale snapping truly to cut the margin to one kick with just under four minutes remaining.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan spurned a rushed chance from 25m out, before Nick Haynes took a crucial mark in the final 30 seconds from a Dogs' forward thrust to deny the home side.

The result has significant implications in the race for the top eight, with the GIANTS moving up to fifth with an 11-8 record, while the Dogs slip to seventh. While the GIANTS are on an historic seven-game winning streak, Luke Beveridge's side has now lost three of its past four games to put their finals aspirations in peril.

The Bulldogs appeared destined for victory earlier in the afternoon with Marcus Bontempelli dominating the opening term with 13 touches, but his influence was blunted after quarter-time by a close tag from Callan Ward against his former side.

Taylor Duryea had kept Greene quiet in the first half, but the GIANTS skipper wouldn't be denied with a sensational third term that turned the game on its head. Greene finished with five goals from 19 disposals with 10 score involvements, while Riccardi booted three important majors.

Lachie Whitfield was excellent as the GIANTS got their rebound off half-back going, managing 36 touches, while Toby Bedford set the tone after half-time by ramping up the pressure to finish with nine tackles. Sam Taylor also shut down Aaron Naughton, keeping him to one goal.

Dale, who booted the Dogs' last goal, had a game-high 37 disposals, while Tom Liberatore and Adam Treloar were excellent at the coalface, with 35 and 34 disposals respectively. Liberatore had a game-high 20 contested possessions, while Treloar also managed two goals along with ruckman Tim English.

The Dogs' first-half advantage was built around the contest and clearance work, while they were able to take 9-1 marks inside 50 in the first term, with English converting one of those chances as they led by 14 points at the first break.

The GIANTS struggled for ideas up forward in the first half, managing only two goals before half-time, as the Dogs added another three goals in the second term, including sub Rhylee West's snap and Treloar's fine shot from the boundary to lead by 29 at the main interval.

Naughton's goal early in the third, following a Finn Callaghan turnover, opened up a 35-point lead but the GIANTS rallied, with a clear shift in their ball movement and more willingness to run and carry off half-back. Greene provided the clinical edge they missed up forward.

Greene's third goal, which cut the margin to 14 points, came after Whitfield's creative rebound run, while the GIANTS were suddenly getting in behind the Dogs' defence with Greene finding Riccardi streaming into an open goal. Bedford's poised pass connected with Greene who goaled to narrow the margin to eight points at three-quarter time.

After nine goals in the third, the game tightened up in the last, before Riccardi eventually broke the deadlock after Callum Brown's composed pass.

Goals from Greene and Daniels put the GIANTS 11 points ahead, before Dale's snap ensured a thrilling finale, with Anthony Scott sending a long ball inside 50 in the dying seconds with Naughton unable to pull down a desperate marking attempt as the siren sounded.

GIANTS win wherever they go

The GIANTS' remarkable run continued, extending their winning streak to seven consecutive victories, but among that are triumphs all over the country, with Ballarat the latest location to hear the club song. In fact, the GIANTS have saluted at nine venues in total this season, including wins in Alice Springs, Canberra, Hobart, Geelong and Adelaide's Norwood Oval. One of the better-known lines in the GIANTS' aforementioned club song, "we will never surrender", was fully on display in Ballarat, producing one of the club's finest comebacks as the potential of a September charge becomes more and more real.

The great wall shuts down Astro-naught

There was an intriguing battle from the opening bounce between two strong-marking Western Australians, with Taylor lined up against Naughton. The pair's battles at aerial contests were thrilling, but it was the probable All-Australian full-back Taylor who had the better of the match-up, repelling Dogs' attacks with eight marks and a game-high 15 intercept possessions. Naughton, however, had some moments, including a third-quarter goal that opened up a 35-point lead.

WESTERN BULLDOGS                3.5    6.10    9.10   10.13 (73)
GIANTS                                        1.3    2.5      8.8     11.12 (78) 

GOALS

Western Bulldogs: English 2, Treloar 2, B.Smith, Johannisen, West, Naughton, Weightman, Dale
GIANTS: Greene 5, Riccardi 3, Brown, Kelly, Daniels

BEST

Western Bulldogs: Liberatore, Treloar, Dale, Macrae, Bontempelli, English
GIANTS: Whitfield, Greene, Taylor, Ash, Coniglio, Bedford, Ward, Briggs

INJURIES

Western Bulldogs: Alex Keath (concussion), Josh Bruce (knee)
GIANTS: None

SUBSTITUTES

Western Bulldogs: Rhylee West (replaced Alex Keath in the second quarter)
GIANTS: Nick Haynes (replaced Aaron Cadman in the third quarter)

Crowd: TBC at Mars Stadium, Ballarat