The eyes of the footballing world will be on the Whitten Oval on Saturday night, for the 2016 AFL Women’s All-Stars match.
It’s the last time Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs will meet in this manner before the National Women’s League gets underway in January next year.
GIANTS marquee signings Emma Swanson and Renee Forth will be in the thick of the action during the night.
21-year-old Swanson will make her fourth appearance for Melbourne, having made her debut in the 2013 exhibition match after being selected with pick 29 in the 2013 draft.
Forth - who will miss the game after injuring her knee - has played for both Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, but will make her coaching debut as an assistant to Dogs' coach Paul Groves.
New South Wales is well represented in the match with Nicola Barr and Maddy Collier both lining up for the Western Bulldogs.
It’s a significant step for Barr – a speedy midfielder with a booming kicking - who only started playing football three years ago.
Collier will be one to watch, with the fierce tackling midfielder on the radar of many NWL clubs looking to add a hard inside player to their ranks.
With the NWL to start in January, Saturday’s match presents the final opportunity for football fans to catch a glimpse of the stars of women’s football all in one place.
Swanson and Forth’s involvement in the All-Stars match caps off a big month for the GIANTS' NWL side.
On Wednesday the GIANTS announced Harvey Norman as the inaugural premier partner for their NWL side.
“We’re proud that they are going to be a part of it and knowing they are passionate about is good for the growth of footy,” Forth said.
“It’s going to be great for New South Wales and the ACT, especially for a state that’s had less support and less sponsorship, it’s definitely a state that’s going to show the most growth.”
The GIANTS also unveiled financial services organisation FlexiGroup as the platinum partner of the women’s team and Sydney Airport as the shorts partner.
“Obviously we need partners to get the team out there every week so the three we’ve got at the moment makes it a lot easier for the club,” Swanson said.
You have an opportunity to be part of history and become a Foundation Member of the GIANTS’ National Women’s League team.
For existing foundation members of the GIANTS men’s team from 2011, this is a unique opportunity to be part of the formation of both the men’s and women’s teams from the very beginning.
Even if you’re not a previous foundation member, this is your chance to be part of this exciting new step for the AFL.
More than 500 Foundation Memberships have already been sold ahead of next year’s competition.
The 2016 AFL Women’s All-Star game from Whitten Oval will be broadcast on 7Mate across NSW and the ACT at 7.30pm on Saturday, September 3.
