The GIANTS have three huge inclusions for the Battle of the Bridge at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday night, with star onballer Tom Green and key forward Jesse Hogan both returning from injury and foundation GIANT Nick Haynes coming in for his 200th game.
Green, who has missed the past three matches with a hamstring injury, will return for the crucial clash with the Swans after training strongly throughout the week.
The strong inside midfielder is in the midst of a career-best season, with the 22-year-old averaging more than 31 disposals and almost six tackles per game to put himself in All-Australian contention.
Meanwhile, Hogan will also return to take his place in the GIANTS’ 22 after missing the last two matches with a quad injury.
The 28-year-old key forward has played a crucial role for the GIANTS this season with 29 goals in 16 games.
Haynes also returns to the starting 22 after playing last week’s game as the sub, coming on in the third quarter to lay a crunching tackle before taking a game-saving mark in the final seconds of the game.
Haynes will join teammates Toby Greene and Lachie Whitfield as the only GIANTS drafted by the club to play 200 games. The milestone caps off 12 years of service to the club after being drafted as a 19-year-old with pick seven in the 2011 draft.
The key inclusions will further bolster a GIANTS’ side that has won a club-record seven straight games as it prepares to take on the Swans in a finals-shaping Sydney Derby.
Despite their confidence at a high, GIANTS coach Adam Kingsley said his side was aware it could not afford to take its foot of the pedal as it strives to book itself a finals spot
“If we start to think that we are better than what we are, or we become complacent, then we won’t make finals, it’s as simple as that,” he said.
“And I think our guys are well aware of that.
“I’d like to say we’ve been preparing really well for each and every game and nothing has changed.”
While the GIANTS will enter the 26th Derby as the hottest team in the competition, aiming for an eighth straight win, Kingsley said it stood for nothing come Saturday against their cross-town rival.
“In rivalry games, whether it’s the Battle of the Bridge, whether it’s the Showdown or the Western Derby, or the Q-Clash, as we saw last week, form is almost irrelevant,” he said.
“Any team can win; they’re coin flips these games. And we are aware of that.
“It’s about contest and pressure, and both are really strong in that phase of the game, and I think that’ll be the deciding factor in this game.”
Kingsley also congratulated Haynes on his 200th game, with the former All Australian and Kevin Sheedy Medal winner
“He’s been a wonderful servant of this footy club and we’ll celebrate him, hopefully with a win, but we’ll celebrate him irrespective,’ Kingsley said.
“We let him know earlier in the week that he’d definitely be playing [and not be the sub].
“He’s been in really good form, and we expect the same Nick Haynes game that we’ve seen 199 times before, and I’m looking forward to watching him go about it.”
Out of the side are Ryan Angwin and Aaron Cadman, who have been omitted, while Isaac Cumming will start as the sub.
The GIANTS take on the Swans at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday at 7:30pm.
Match Details:
GIANTS v South Melbourne
Saturday, August 5 at 7:30pm
GIANTS Stadium | Wangal Country
Team:
FB: Jack Buckley, Sam Taylor, Nick Haynes
HB: Lachie Ash, Harry Himmelberg, Lachie Whitfield
C: Josh Kelly, Tom Green, Finn Callaghan
HF: Brent Daniels Jake Riccardi, Toby Bedford
FF: Callum Brown, Jesse Hogan, Toby Greene
RR: Kieren Briggs, Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio
Interchange: Daniel Lloyd, Lachlan Keeffe, Connor Idun, Harry Perryman
In: Nick Haynes, Tom Green, Jesse Hogan
Out: Isaac Cumming (sub), Ryan Angwin, Aaron Cadman (omitted)
Emergencies: Isaac Cumming, Aaron Cadman, Matt Flynn, Ryan Angwin
