Match day guide and preview for the 2022 AFL round 10 game between the GWS Giants and West Coast Eagles.
Match details
Who: GWS Giants vs West Coast Eagles
When: Sunday 22 May 2022, 2.10pm
Where: GIANTS Stadium NSW
All time head-to-head record: Played 13. Giants 4 wins. Eagles 9 wins.
Teams
Giants
IN: Jacob Wehr, Jake Stein, James Peatling, Jarrod Brander, Jesse Hogan, Tanner Bruhn, Zach Sproule
OUT: Conor Stone (injured), Cooper Hamilton (omitted), Finn Callaghan (injured), Lachie Whitfield (injured), Lachlan Keeffe (omitted), Nick Haynes (illness), Matt de Boer (omitted)
GWS have a huge number of outs for Mark McVeigh’s first match in charge with seven out from last week’s loss to Carlton. Whitfield and Haynes are the two biggest names out, while Hogan is biggest inclusion.
Eagles
IN: Andrew Gaff, Brady Hough, Jack Williams, Luke Shuey, Rhett Bazzo, Zane Trew
OUT: Jamie Cripps (illness), Liam Ryan (suspension), Luke Foley (injured)
The Eagles have lost Ryan to suspension, while veterans Gaff and Shuey have been named to return.
Season so far
GWS Giants 15th – 78.8% | 638 points for | 810 points against | 2 wins 7 losses | LLWLL
The Giants find themselves in an unfamiliar position of being in the bottom four with coach Leon Cameron paying the price for their poor start.
Cameron himself called the team ‘boring’ two weeks ago and the stats tell the same story with GWS third last for goals scored, averaging just 10 per game.
They have had a rather tough draw to start the season though, with seven of their nine matches against teams currently in the top 8. They’ve lost all seven of those matches, while their two wins were against the only sides that they’ve played that are outside of the top 8 (Crows and Suns).
That illustrates that they’re currently just mediocre, unable to beat the best teams but a class above some of the poorer sides.
West Coast Eagles 18th – 49.9% | 488 points for | 977 points against | 1 win 8 losses | LLLLL
The Eagles season has been a mess from early on with a spate of pre-season injuries compounded by a COVID spread early in the year.
They were somewhat competitive over the first four weeks of the season but have since fallen off a cliff, losing five in a row.
In those five losses, West Coast have conceded over 100 points in each match with an average losing margin of 81 points.
It looks like being a long season for Eagles’ fans and it would take a miraculous form turnaround to win this game.
Last 5 meetings and Giants Stadium history
- 2021 round 10 – Giants 13.15 (93) defeated Eagles 11.11 (77) at Giants Stadium
- 2020 round 13 – Eagles 9.7 (61) defeat Giants 7.7 (49) at Optus Stadium
- 2019 round 2 – Eagles 16.8 (104) defeated Giants 7.10 (52) at Optus Stadium
- 2018 round 16 – Eagles 13.8 (86) defeat Giants 10.15 (75) at Optus Stadium
- 2018 round 8 – Giants 8.13 (61) lost to Eagles 12.14 (86) at Giants Stadium
The Eagles have won 4 of the last 5 against GWS, although the Giants got the win in their only meeting last year.
They have met at Giants Stadium six times in the past, with the ledger all square at 3-3. GWS have won the three of the last four matches there dating back to 2017.
Pre match prediction
Hill climbs: Bobby Hill to celebrate Indigenous round with a hanger and two goals.
Other match details
This week is Sir Doug Nicholls Round which will see both sides wearing their 2022 Indigenous jerseys.
The GWS jersey is designed by NSW artist Peter Whitton, a proud Wiradjuri man who lives in Western Sydney.
Have any pre match predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
