The GIANTS will be out to tame the Tigers on Sunday as they clash with Richmond at the home of footy.

AFL Round 18
 
Richmond v GIANTS 
Sunday, July 14 at 3:20pm
MCG | Wurundjeri Country 
 
What it means for the GIANTS

The GIANTS (9-7) will look to continue their finals push following Saturday’s season-defining 12-point win over the red-hot Carlton at ENGIE Stadium.

Knocked out of the top eight for the first time this season ahead of that clash, the Orange Tsunami surged back into premiership contention with a blistering 60 minutes of football against the second-placed Blues. 

Trailing by 39 points early in the second term, the GIANTS obliterated Carlton over the next hour of footy, kicking 14 of the next 16 goals in a remarkable 75-point turnaround to set up the 18.8 (116) to 16.8 (104) win.

Now sitting 8^th on a log-jammed ladder, the GIANTS have a chance to boost their top four aspirations in what looms as a danger game against the bottom-placed Tigers.

Several GIANTS will take strong form into Sunday’s clash with the Tigers after starring performances against Carlton, with Jesse Hogan (five goals, six contested marks) and Kieren Briggs (22 disposals, 10 clearances, 40 hit-outs) both colossal in the win.

The Opposition  

The Tigers enter Sunday’s clash sitting 18^th on the AFL ladder for the first time in the club’s history following their 51-point loss to the Dockers in Perth last week.

Richmond fought hard but were outmatched by the Dockers who handed the Tigers their third straight loss by 48 points or more in a tough stretch for the yellow and black.

Locked in a battle with the Kangaroos to avoid the wooden spoon, the Tigers will be hoping the Tiger Army can help them register an upset win over the GIANTS at the ‘G on Sunday.

Recent History     

The Tigers will welcome the GIANTS to town with a favourable record against the Orange Tsunami, with Richmond having won three of the last four matches between the sides. 

In the most recent encounter – held at ENGIE Stadium in round 12 last year – the GIANTS overcame an early five-goal deficit to hit the lead late in the final term before Marlion Pickett kicked a match-winning goal with 24 seconds left to give Richmond a thrilling 16.14 (110) to 15.14 (104) victory.

Key Match-Up: From Friends to Foes

Sunday’s match-up will see the GIANTS’ midfield do battle with a pair of familiar faces in former GIANTS duo Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper. 

The former Kevin Sheedy Medallist (Taranto) and GIANTS Rising Star winner (Hopper) will face their old side in strong form, with the pair combining for 52 touches, 11 tackles and nine clearances in the loss to Fremantle last weekend. 

With Tigers ruckman Toby Nankervis (26 touches, seven tackles, 36 hit-outs, 11 clearances and a goal) also having a monster game last weekend, the GIANTS midfield will have their work cut out for them if they’re to tame the Tigers on Sunday. 

The strong form of the GIANTS’ onball brigade makes for a mouthwatering match-up on Sunday, with ruckman Kieren Briggs putting in one of his best ever performances last week ahead of the clash with Nankervis, while the likes of Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, Finn Callaghan, Callan Ward, and Isaac Cumming are all in strong form.

GIANTS Player to Watch: Darcy Jones

Fresh off his AFL Telstra Rising Star nomination, Darcy Jones will look to showcase his immense talent once again on Sunday in what will be the youngster’s first AFL game at the MCG. 

Returning to the side last week with a dazzling performance against the Blues, Jones finished just his fifth AFL game with 18 touches, a goal, seven score involvements, four marks, four inside-50s and several brilliant defensive efforts to continue the impressive start to his AFL career.

Proving to be a headache for opposition defenders, the speedy 20-year-old will be hoping his pressure and creativity with the ball can help the Orange Tsunami surge to a win over the Tigers.

In the Mix    

Dashing defender Lachie Ash is expected to return for Sunday’s clash if he can get through Friday’s main training session after being a late out for last week’s win over the Blues with a corked calf.

Jacob Wehr, Nick Haynes, Xavier O’Halloran, Ryan Angwin and Callum Brown headline a host of names that will come into consideration following strong VFL performances.

Team Selection  

The GIANTS will name their squad to take on Richmond 6:20pm on Thursday and then the final team at 5pm on Friday at gwsgiants.com.au.

Rehab Report     

Get a full injury update ahead of Sunday’s match here.  

Where to Watch   

Saturday’s match will be shown live and free on Channel 7 from 7pm nationally, as well as on Fox Footy and Kayo.

Be part of the #BigBigSound in 2024 - For all the latest news, follow @GWSGIANTS on social media: Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.

Toby Greene has faced Richmond in front of far more people in games with far more on the line, but that didn't stop the GIANTS' captain from producing a vintage performance on Sunday. 

Round 18 in the middle of winter, with 19,040 people in the house, isn't a Grand Final or a preliminary final, but four goals and four goal assists was the match-winning performance the GIANTS needed to make another move on the ladder by defeating the Tigers by 24 points at the MCG. 

After a patchy few months, the GIANTS backed up last Saturday night's defining win over Carlton at ENGIE Stadium to win back-to-back games for the first time since round four, when they left Canberra 5-0 for the first time in the club's history. 

But it was far from convincing against the side stuck on the bottom of the ladder as they recorded a 17.6 (108) to 12.12 (84) victory.

They weren't home until veteran Callan Ward kicked a goal in time on to end a gutsy fourth-quarter fightback from the Tigers. 

Jesse Hogan made the most of his chances to convert four goals and move within four goals of Carlton superstar Charlie Curnow in the Coleman Medal race. 

Tom Green amassed plenty of leather, as he has all season, finishing with 37 disposals and seven tackles, while Lachie Whitfield cut Richmond apart from half-back, accumulating 35 touches, including 21 kicks. 

But the win came at a cost for Adam Kingsley's men with midfielder Stephen Coniglio substituted out of the game at the final break due to another concerning issue with his shoulder. 

Liam Baker gave Richmond the perfect start with a goal after just 75 seconds, before the GIANTS started linking up between the arcs to punish the Tigers. Darcy Jones got it started, then Hogan and Greene converted set shots. Alarm bells were ringing early. 

Richmond responded. It hit the post twice and should have been closer, but when Rhyan Mansell made Finn Callaghan pay for a costly turnover exiting defensive 50, the Tigers got some reward, reaching the first break within a kick of the GIANTS. 

Greene was in everything early in the second quarter. First, he handed back a mark after being penalised for a frustrating high fend-off. Then, the All-Australian skipper pinned Tim Taranto holding the ball, converting the shot for his second. 

After a handful of wasted chances, Shai Bolton flaunted his class by pouncing on a front and centre ball, either side of bad misses by Jacob Koschitzke, keeping the Tigers within striking distance. 

Despite having only two wins on the board and facing a first wooden spoon since 2007, Richmond showed up on Sunday. But so did Greene. The GIANTS captain hasn't reached the same heights of his career year in 2023, but he was the difference in the first half, adding a brilliant goal assist to Ward to a strong first half. 

Adem Yze's side didn't drop off after half-time. Koschitzke kicked the opening goal of the second half, but then the class of Greene was on show again with a coast-to-coast goal. When Hogan wove through traffic moments later, after collecting the ball off his laces, the margin was 20 points and the GIANTS had a buffer. Every time the Tigers countered, the GIANTS responded. Again, it was Greene with a moment of brilliance that gave Toby Bedford the chance to burst through and kick a goal. 

Richmond didn't drop its bundle late, even when Tim Taranto was forced off the ground with concussion after a Bedford tackle. But it could never get close enough to trouble the GIANTS, remaining on the bottom of the ladder.

RICHMOND                                    3.4     6.7     8.10     12.12 (84)  
GIANTS                                           4.3     9.4     14.5      17.6 (108)  

GOALS

Richmond: Green 3, Mansell 2, Koschitzke 2, Bolton 2, Ryan, Rioli, Baker
GIANTS: Hogan 4, Greene 4, Ward 2, Thomas, Riccardi, McMullin, Jones, Cadman, Briggs, Bedford

INJURIES

Richmond: Taranto (concussion)
GIANTS: Coniglio (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES

Richmond: James Trezise (replaced Tyler Sonsie at three-quarter time)
GIANTS: James Peatling (replaced Stephen Coniglio at three-quarter time)

Crowd: 19,040 at the MCG