The GWS Giants are seeking their first ever win against a Western Bulldogs side looking to add to their win tally for 2012. We’ll have live scores from 1.45pm AEST.
The two teams will be playing for the inaugural Prime Minister’s Cup.
While the ACT is considered the Giants’ second home, Manuka Oval is in fact a venue the Bulldogs should be quite familiar with. They have played a number of home games there in the past, meaning the clash will very much take place on neutral turf.
The Giants took a step closer to their first win last week against Adelaide, overcoming a sluggish start to play some of their best footy to date. They went down by 46 points.
The most memorable moment from the match was Israel Folau kicking his first goal in AFL footy, but quite a few of their youngsters showed promising signs.
However, the worry heading into this week is injuries. They’ve lost experienced players Rhys Palmer, Dean Brogan and Tim Mohr. Key youngsters Jeremy Cameron and Stephen Coniglio are back, but it makes things tough.
The Bulldogs won’t be overly impressed with their start to the season, with their first win coming only last week against Melbourne, and even that didn’t come easy.
The Dogs are 15th on the ladder, ahead of only Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS.
Coming into the side this week is Brian Lake, while Daniel Giansiracusa is the most noteworthy exclusion.
Barry Hall’s retirement at the end of last year is being felt by the Dogs, with the side’s two leading goal kickers – Giansiracusa and Liam Jones – having just five goals each so far. In Gia’s absence, this is even more of a concern.
For the Giants, Cameron’s return is a welcomed one. He booted four matches in the side’s first three games, while Folau and Curtly Hampton stood up well in his absence last week.
The midfield is where the Dogs have a little extra star power. Matthew Boyd, Daniel Cross, Ryan Griffin and Adam Cooney are all consistent performers.
With Palmer out, the key players for the Giants will be Callan Ward, Tom Scully and Luke Power.