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.