Co-captain Phil Davis will return to lead the GIANTS against St Kilda at UNSW Canberra Oval on Saturday.
Davis comes back into the side after being sidelined for a week with an ankle injury that saw him miss round six.
The key defender comes into the team alongside Isaac Cumming who will play his first game of the season following a string of strong NEAFL performances.
The duo replaces the in-form Lachie Whitfield, who hasn’t recovered from a corked quad he suffered in last week’s Sydney Derby win, and defender Matt Buntine, who has been omitted.
TICKETS: Don't miss the GIANTS' clash with St Kilda at UNSW Canberra Oval on Saturday at 1:45pm.
GIANTS Head Coach Leon Cameron said the return of Davis is a positive as his side come up against the high-flying Saints.
“It’s really pleasing that he's progressed throughout the week,” he said.
“He was probably a bit slower earlier in the week, but started to really get motoring in our main session, and pulled up well on Thursday, so it’s terrific to have him back in our side for Saturday.”
While Cumming hasn’t played at AFL level since round nine last year, Cameron is happy with how the young defender has been playing at NEAFL level across the past month.
The 20-year-old GIANTS Academy graduate has proven he can gather plenty of possessions, having had 63 disposals in the last fortnight.
“Isaac really thoroughly deserves his opportunity, he's probably had four or five good weeks out of the last six and that is including some JLT and practice matches,” Cameron said.
“He’s been playing around the wing and he's been playing half-back flank.
“He’s in his third year, and it’s great to have a player who’s in really good form, and knocking the door down, and rewarding that.”
While St Kilda are coming off a loss to Adelaide in round six, the Saints have started the season in strong form and currently sit sixth on the ladder behind the GIANTS on percentage.
“They’re going to be really hard to beat,” Cameron said. “Every year there's sides that come from down below, and it’s not a surprise for us because we're now into round six, and they are absolutely real deal.
“They’re four and two, and have had some really good wins so we understand it's going to be a huge challenge for us.
“We've had some really close games against the Saints over the last three years, but we need to make sure that we concentrate on what we've been good at and see if we can string a couple of wins together.”
The Saints have made four changes to their team for Saturday's clash, recalling Rowan Marshall, Hunter Clark, Jonathon Marsh and Darragh Joyce for Jack Lonie, Jack Stevens, Billy Longer and Nathan Brown.
It’s the first time the GIANTS have played the Saints at UNSW Canberra Oval since round three, 2013.
After a big crowd at UNSW Canberra Oval for the GIANTS’ round five clash with Fremantle, the club is anticipating another big crowd in the nation’s capital.
“I think it's going to be a perfect Saturday afternoon with weather around about 15, 16 degrees, bit of cloud cover. Footy's played at its best in those conditions.
“We love our support in Canberra, and we love to see lots of GIANTS supporters and footy followers in general.
“And with the way that St Kilda have been playing as well, and there's no doubt they're going to travel as well, but if we can get as much of a sea of orange there as possible, it helps us in the end.”
TICKETS: Don't miss the GIANTS' clash with St Kilda at UNSW Canberra Oval on Saturday at 1:45pm.
GIANTS v St Kilda
Saturday, May 4 at 1:45pm
UNSW Canberra Oval
FB: Nick Haynes, Sam Taylor, Jeremy Finlayson
HB: Aidan Corr, Phil Davis, Heath Shaw
C: Sam Reid, Jacob Hopper, Isaac Cumming
HF: Stephen Coniglio, Harry Himmelberg, Matt de Boer
FF: Zac Williams, Jeremy Cameron, Toby Greene
RR: Shane Mumford, Josh Kelly, Tim Taranto
Interchange: Brent Daniels, Adam Kennedy, Daniel Lloyd, Adam Tomlinson
In: Phil Davis, Isaac Cumming
Out: Matt Buntine, Lachie Whitfield
Emergencies: Jackson Hately, Zac Langdon, Matt Buntine, Dawson Simpson
