Match day guide and preview for the 2022 AFL round 13 game between the GWS Giants and North Melbourne Kangaroos.
Match details
Who: North Melbourne Kangaroos vs GWS Giants
When: Sunday 12 June 2022, 3.20pm
Where: Marvel Stadium, Victoria
All time head-to-head record: Played 11. Giants 3 wins. Kangaroos 3 wins. 1 draw.
Teams
Giants
IN: Adam Kennedy, Lachie Whitfield
OUT: Bobby Hill (cancer), Jarrod Brander (omitted)
MILESTONE: Callan Ward – 200 games for GWS
Whitfield and Kennedy come straight back into the side while Hill is out after recently undergoing surgery for testicular cancer and Brander has been omitted. There is no room for either Braydon Preuss or All-Australian Nick Haynes, with both named as emergencies.
Kangaroos
IN: Aaron Hall, Jaidyn Stephenson
OUT: Ben McKay (injured), Atu Bosenavulagi (omitted), Tarryn Thomas (omitted)
MILESTONES: Aaron Hall and Luke McDonald – 150 AFL games
Yong gun Thomas has been dropped after a poor first half of the season. Bosenavulagi has also been omitted, while McKay is out with concussion. Hall and Stephenson come back in to provide some run for the Roos.
Season so far
GWS Giants 15th – 86.7% | 872 points for | 1006 points against | 3 wins 8 losses | LWLLW
It was a tough first half of the season for the Giants with just three wins on the board and Leon Cameron leaving the club.
They are 1-1 since Mark McVeigh took over as coach and despite losing to Brisbane before they bye, it was probably one of their better performances.
GWS looked willing to take the game on a little more, managing to score 96 points against quality opposition to only go down by 14 in Brisbane.
It was certainly an effort to build on for the Giants and they still have 11 matches left to show some improvement.
North Melbourne Kangaroos 17th – 52.3% | 671 points for | 1282 points against | 1 win 11 losses | LWWWW
It has simply been a disastrous season for the Roos with far too many uncompetitive performances so far.
They have now lost ten matches in a row, in which eight have been by 50 points or more and their only win for the season came against an undermanned West Coast side.
They just don’t seem capable of a full four quarter effort at the moment and if that trend continues, it will be a mighty long second half of the season for their fans.
Last 5 meetings and Marvel Stadium history
- 2021 round 13: Kangaroos 14.10 (94) drew Giants 14.10 (94) at Blundstone Arena
- 2020 round 2: Giants 8.12 (60) lost to Kangaroos 12.8 (80) at Giants Stadium
- 2019 round 13: Kangaroos 10.8 (68) lost to Giants 14.7 (91) at Blundstone Arena
- 2018 round 9: Kangaroos 17.10 (112) defeated Giants 9.15 (69) at Giants Stadium
- 2017 round 3: Kangaroos 10.7 (67) lost to Giants 15.19 (109) at Blundstone Arena
It is all square over the past five meetings with both sides recording two wins each, while their last match ended in a draw.
The Kangaroos typically host GWS in Tasmania, so this will be just the third meeting between the sides at Marvel Stadium and the first since 2016.
North won the first encounter by 86 points in 2013 and GWS won the 2016 clash by 37 points.
Pre match predictions
Marvelous milestone man: Cal Ward to kick a goal and lead GWS to a win at Marvel Stadium in his 200th game for the club.
Hall Pass: Aaron Hall to have two goal assists in his comeback game.
Other match details
The match will be shown live on the Channel 7 network in the ACT and NSW from 3pm. It will be on Foxtel nationally and is also available to stream on Kayo.
There is a fear that this game could break the record for the smallest AFL crowd at Marvel Stadium. The lowest attendance is currently 8,974 which featured GWS taking on Melbourne in round 23, 2015.
Have any pre match predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
