We take a look back at the history between the AFL’s two newest teams as they get ready to write another chapter in their short but storied history on Saturday afternoon.

As the AFL’s two newest expansion teams, the GIANTS and Gold Coast Suns were always going to have a lot in common.

With comparisons over their lists builds, ladder positions and marquee players, there was also always going to be an intense rivalry between the two teams as they race to see who will be the first to secure an AFL Premiership.

The rivalry between the two sides began in 2012 as the GIANTS entered the AFL competition. The Suns had just completed their first season at the top level, finishing 17th on the ladder with three wins.

Most fans of both sides will remember their first ever meeting in the AFL but there was already history between the two sides even before that round seven clash.

The tiny town of Lavington near Albury in southern NSW became the answer to a trivia question when the GIANTS knocked off the Suns for the very first time in a NAB Challenge match on March 10, 2012.

The GIANTS won by 13 points with Rhys Palmer, Liam Sumner, Callan Ward, Chad Cornes and Phil Davis named amongst the best.

However it would take until round seven of the official AFL season for the these two sides to meet in a premiership match for the first time.

On May 12 on a Saturday afternoon at StarTrack Oval in Canberra, both clubs were looking for their first win of the season and the GIANTS were still waiting to belt out their team song for the first time.

A five-goal to none final quarter saw the GIANTS run out 27-point winners for their first ever victory on a historic day for the club.

It was a significant moment in the story of the club with the photo from that day now adorning the wall as you enter the GIANTS’ Learning Life Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The Suns would finish that year with three wins and 17th on the ladder with the GIANTS just behind, in 18th spot with two wins in their inaugural season.

Over the years since the two clubs have been constantly compared, particularly as the Suns rose up the ladder and the GIANTS seemed to stagnate with just the one win in 2013.         

Season 2014 saw the Suns fly up the AFL ladder in the first part of the season and looking headed towards their maiden finals berth. After captain Gary Ablett suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in round 16, the Suns would win just one more game for the year and finish 12th.

The GIANTS had a solid year, winning six games - more than ever before - and finishing off the bottom of the ladder for the first time.

Over this period, it was the Suns with all the bragging rights in the clashes between the two sides. After that first win, the GIANTS suffered four losses in a row to the Suns with margins of 30, 44, 83 and 40 points.

As we entered 2015, the Suns looked certain to be pushing for finals with a new coach and their captain due to return. But it didn’t go to plan, and as the GIANTS got their season off to a scintillating start, both sides entered their round four clash at opposite ends of the ladder.

The GIANTS put in a blistering performance on an historic day in Canberra, the first-ever times these two sides had played on ANZAC Day, on the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.

Half a season on and much has changed. The GIANTS have notched eight wins for the year and are firmly in the hunt for their first-ever finals spot, but they’ll have to do it without hulking ruckman Shane Mumford and missing key defenders Phil Davis and Joel Patfull and star midfielder Dylan Shiel for much of the remaining of the season.

The Suns sit in 17th with just the two wins for the season but they’ve got Ablett back and smashed North Melbourne by 10 goals a fortnight ago. They also put in a huge half against the Bulldogs last weekend before running out of steam in the final quarter.

This weekend the GIANTS travel to the Gold Coast to play the Suns for the seventh time in the clubs’ history.

With the GIANTS’ finals hopes possibly hinging on the outcome of this game, and the Suns keen to keep their little brothers in line, there’s plenty on the line for both sides at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

HISTORY


R4, 2015, GIANTS 16.23 (119) d Gold Coast 7.11 (53) at StarTrack Oval
R6, 2014, Gold Coast 20.14 (134) d GIANTS 13.16 (94) at Metricon Stadium
R23, 2013, Gold Coast 22.14 (146) d GIANTS 9.9 (63) at Metricon Stadium
R5, 2013, Gold Coast 21.22 (148) d GIANTS 16.8 (104) at StarTrack Oval
R20, 2012, Gold Coast 16.13 (109) d GIANTS 12.7 (79) at Metricon Stadium
R7, 2012, GIANTS 13.16 (94) d Gold Coast 9.13 (67) at StarTrack Oval

The GIANTS play the Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday at 2.10pm with live coverage on Fox Sports 3 and 7mate in NSW and the ACT from 2.00pm. Follow the game live on the GIANTS Game Hub or keep up to date on Twitter and Facebook.