Co-captain Callan Ward believes the GIANTS can still match it against the best teams in the AFL ahead of their big clash with Richmond at the MCG.

At the end of round 10 the GIANTS were flying with seven wins and just three losses for the season, already their best season ever.

Much changed in the following fortnight as the GIANTS went down to Collingwood and North Melbourne in succession, suffered a host of key injuries and slipped out of the top eight for the first time this season.

But it’s not all doom and gloom according to co-captain Callan Ward who believes the GIANTS can still match it against the best teams in the AFL ahead of their big clash with Richmond at the MCG.

“Internally we’re still really confident, we still think we’re playing some really good footy,” Ward told the media ahead of Wednesday main training session at Tom Wills Oval.

“We still believe we can beat any team out there. We’ve got seven wins up to the half-way point of the season so we’re pretty happy so far.

“We’ve had two poor weeks but if we can still have that belief and that confidence to play really good footy, that’s probably the main message.”

The GIANTS are coming off a well-timed bye with the players getting four days off to refresh and recuperate ahead of the back half of the season.

“It was a good break actually, it was a much-needed break,” Ward said.

“All of the boys had some good time away with their family and friends but it’s good be back in training.

“We dropped off in our last month of footy, especially in the last two weeks against Collingwood and North as well, so I think the bye came at a good time.”

In contrast to the GIANTS’ fortunes, Richmond have won five of their last six matches including big wins over Fremantle and Sydney and are well-entrenched in sixth place on the ladder with seven wins and five losses as well.

Ward pinpointed the contested ball as an area the GIANTS would focus on to try and tame the Tigers on their home turf.

“Richmond are playing some really good footy, they can beat any team in the competition when they’re playing really good footy,” he said.

“We can counteract that and stop that and if we can really press them and then I think we can play really good footy against them as well.

“Contested footy - that’s an area of our game we’re not really doing well - especially over the past four or five weeks - so if we can be really contested against the Tigers this weekend then hopefully we can play some really good footy.

“The way the AFL is these days, it’s a really even competition. If one team’s playing really good footy then can beat anyone so it’s just the way it is these days.

“It’s a perfect time to beat them, it’s a perfect time to play them.”

The GIANTS’ backline is already missing Phil Davis and Joel Patfull and will be without the in-form Nick Haynes after he was ruled out for this week on Tuesday with groin soreness.

“There’s some big injuries from the GIANTS but the way it works is we’ve got 47 players on our list and 22 play every week so we can bring guys in,” Ward said.

“Everyone who’s on the GIANTS list is capable of playing good AFL footy so we’ve got plenty of guys who can come in and cover the guys in the back six.”

The GIANTS play Richmond at the MCG on Saturday at 1.40pm with live coverage on 7mate in NSW and the ACT and Fox Footy (channel 504) from 1.30pm. Follow the game live on the GIANTS Game Hub or keep up to date on Twitter and Facebook.