The GIANTS head to Etihad Stadium for their second consecutive Friday night match and take on St Kilda who sit just outside the top eight on percentage. 

With two exciting young teams going head to head, let’s take a look at the stats that matter ahead of the intriguing clash.

The stats indicate we could be in for a tight scoring affair with the GIANTS and the Saints ranked first and second in the AFL respectively when it comes to least points conceded in the last month.

The GIANTS have conceded an average of 71 points in the last month of football while St Kilda isn't far behind conceding 78 points on average.

Both sides are hitting the scoreboard though, with the Saints scoring at least 13 goals a game except for their round four win over Collingwood, in which they could only manage nine goals.

The GIANTS have been one of the higher scoring teams of the competition, kicking at least 14 goals in all of their games except for the tight tussle against the Dogs when 11 goals saw the GIANTS scrape home.

While the GIANTS’ tall forward trio of Jon Patton, Jeremy Cameron and Rory Lobb are often spoken about for their marking prowess, the Saints more than match them in this area.

St Kilda is the second best team in the competition for marks inside 50, with veteran Nick Riewoldt leading the way with 14 marks inside 50 and former GIANT Josh Bruce just behind with 13. 

The GIANTS’ defensive unit will have their work cut out for them as these marks inside 50 see the Saints second in the AFL for scores from inside 50s.

The Saints score from 54.8 per cent of their forward fifty entries, second behind ladder leaders Adelaide.

While their scoring from inside forward 50’s is down to the Saints hitting their targets, it’s also influenced by their willingness to move the ball quickly in the build up.

The Saints are second in the competition when it comes to playing on from marks, running off 33.3 per cent of the time.

The Saints favour a fast-flowing brand of football and have struggled to get first hands on football around stoppages in the early rounds.

The GIANTS lead the AFL when it comes to clearance differential in the last month (+13.8 per game) while the Saints languish in 16^th position (-4.0 per game).

That doesn’t mean St Kilda are out of it though, with the Saints ranked first in the AFL over the past month for tackle differential at +8.5.