Where and When: Saturday, May 15 at 7.25pm AEST, Marvel Stadium
Last time they met: The GIANTS beat the Tigers in a round eight game last July, winning by two goals at GIANTS Stadium, 9.8 to 6.14. Five of those Friday night goals came via Toby Greene, with Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio also busy as the GIANTS ended a run of two losses and kept their season afloat. The GIANTS were fast-starters in the game, scoring 14 times from their first 20 entries inside 50. But they relied enormously on the backline to get the job done: together the backs defended a second-quarter run of 17-1 inside 50s, conceding just one goal before the GIANTS snagged two before half-time and added three third-quarter goals to set up the win and give them room to survive the Tigers’ late string of missed shots.
Where to watch: Saturday night’s match will be shown live on Foxtel Channel 503 and Kayo nationally from 7pm and on 7mate in NSW and the ACT.
What it means for the GIANTS: The top eight is still in sight for the GIANTS, who with four wins from the last five rounds have quietly shuffled their way up the ladder. Heading into round 9 the club sits in 9th spot by percentage and one win from fourth spot, behind the Tigers who also have four wins for the season so far. This week’s game will be yet another excellent test for what has suddenly become one of the youngest teams in the competition, and played with energy and focus so far this season.
Where’s the opposition at: The Tigers like the GIANTS have their injury issues, and will come into this game without premiership players Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards, Kane Lambert, Dion Prestia and Shai Bolton. Dylan Grimes is ready to be recalled, having sat out 12 days with concussion. They looked like the Richmond of late 2020 while beating the Bulldogs two weeks ago, before being well beaten by Geelong last Friday night. They too will be looking to get and keep things rolling.
The number: 100. The combined games of first-to-fourth year defenders Sam Taylor (42), Isaac Cumming (18), Connor Idun (10), Jack Buckley (10) and Lachie Ash (20), all of whom have mainstays in the back six. They will have another big job to do together this week, with Lachie Keeffe sadly missing after suffering an ACL injury in his last contest of last week’s win over Essendon.
In the mix: Jesse Hogan missed the Bombers game with some calf tightness and all going well should make his way back into the team he kicked four goals for on debut two weeks back. The one-match suspension of Jeremy Finlayson has opened a spot up in the forward line as well as the back-up ruck role, with Matthew Flynn and the untried Kieren Briggs both potential inclusions. Keeffe’s ACL injury and the continued absence of tall defenders Phil Davis (calf) and Jake Stein (thumb) means the backline will need to be shuffled around: Matthew Buntine has overcome his concussion, while Jake Riccardi will be another consideration after his one-week, 19-mark, 40-possession trial in the VFL two weeks ago. Draftees Conor Stone, Ryan Angwin and Jacob Wehr are also in the mix.
