The GIANTS and the Swans will battle it out for bragging rights in a mouthwatering clash in neutral territory.
Match Information:
GIANTS v Swans
Sunday, September 22 at 3:05pm
Henson Park | Gadigal and Wangal Country
State of Play:
The GIANTS will enter Sunday’s Sydney Derby full of confidence after a strong start to the season which has them sitting with one win and a draw from the opening three rounds.
With Sydney bragging rights on the line, Sunday’s clash at Henson Park will be the GIANTS’ first game in Sydney this season after playing a pair of home games in Canberra across the first three rounds.
The GIANTS will face off with the Swans following a gutsy effort at Manuka Oval last week where they drew with the Suns despite being three players down in the second half.
Limited to just two on the bench following ankle injuries to important defenders Cambridge McCormick and Emily Pease, and a hamstring injury to star winger Nicola Barr, the GIANTS entered the second half up by eight points and managed to keep their noses in front until the final moments when Gold Coast’s Jamie Stanton kicked a goal after the siren to end the game in a draw.
While not the victory they were hoping for, the GIANTS showed remarkable resilience to fight out a draw with three less rotations for the entire second half.
There were several strong performances in the draw, with skipper Bec Beeson (23 touches, 11 tackles) leading the charge, while Kaitlyn Srhoj was named the AFLW Rising Star nominee for round three after starring in just her third game with 20 touches, six tackles and four clearances.
The GIANTS will unfortunately be missing McCormick and Barr against the Swans on Sunday, with McCormick set to miss 6-8 weeks with a syndesmosis injury, while Barr will miss the remainder of the 2024 season after requiring surgery on her badly injured hamstring.
In more positive news, Pease (ankle) has avoided major damage and will train on Thursday looking to prove her fitness to take on the Swans.
The Opposition:
The Swans are searching for their second win of the season on Sunday after following up their 15-point round one win over Collingwood with back-to-back losses to the Saints and Tigers.
In their most recent outing the Swans gave up a five-goal opening term to the Tigers who went on to register a 10.8 (68) to 3.4 (22) win in Coffs Harbour.
Laura Gardiner (29 disposals, six tackles) and Montana Ham (13 disposals, two goals) led the way for the Swans and will be looking to continue their strong form against the GIANTS at Henson Park.
Recent History:
Sunday’s clash will see the victor move ahead on the win-loss ledger between the sides, with the first two AFLW Sydney Derbies split one each between the fierce rivals.
In the most recent clash, in last year’s season opener, it was the Swans who registered a thrilling five-point win at North Sydney Oval.
Alyce Parker (22 disposals) and Alicia Eva (21 disposals) led the way for the GIANTS, while Gardiner (19 disposals, 13 tackles) and Ally Morphet (18 touches, 29 hit-outs) were strong for the Swans.
In the Mix:
Barr and McCormick’s injuries means there’ll be at least two forced changes to the GIANTS’ team this week, with Izzy Huntington, Brodee Mowbray and Aliesha Newman all in contention.
Huntington will push her case after being a late out for last week’s game with knee soreness, Mowbray will look to play her first AFLW game of the season after making a successful return from an ACL injury through a scrimmage last week, while Newman could make her GIANTS debut against her old side after impressing across the pre-season.
Team Selection:
The GIANTS will name their squad for round four at 6:20pm on Thursday and their final team at 5pm on Friday at gwsgiants.com.au.
Rehab Report:
Get a full injury update ahead of Sunday’s clash here.
Where to Watch:
The GIANTS’ round four clash with the Swans will be shown live on Fox Footy and Kayo nationally and on 7Mate in NSW and the ACT from 3pm on Sunday.
Social Media:
Follow the GIANTS on Instagram at @GWSGIANTSAFLW, and be part of the #BigBigSound in 2024!
