West Coast Eagles v GWS Giants
Sunday, August 16 | Engie Stadium
AFL at 1:40pm, AFLW at 4:45pm
Gates open 12.40pm 

We're heading to Sydney this Sunday for a historic double header against the Giants! The AFL side aims to defeat GWS for the second time in 2026, while the AFLW side kicks off their season looking for a win!

Don't miss the chance to see both teams in action at ENGIE Stadium on Sunday, August 16.

Captain's Run & Post-match function

Unfortunately, due to venue requirements, the Captain's Run for both the AFL and AFLW team will be closed.

As we have a tight travel turnaround, there will be no post-match event.

Getting to ENGIE Stadium

ENGIE Stadium is located within Sydney Olympic Park. Parking is available and is recommended to pre-book here to guarantee your space.

Trains run regularly to Olympic Park and stop a short walk from ENGIE Stadium. Remember to plan your journey at transportnsw.info.

Where and when: ENGIE Stadium Sunday, August 16, 4.45pm (2.45pm AWST)

Last time we met: West Coast 11.9 (75) defeated Greater Western Sydney 5.3 (33), round seven, 2025.

The Eagles overcame illness that struck the group and a disrupted preparation to record a commanding 42-point win over GWS at Mineral Resources Park last season. West Coast led at every change on the way to the victory, with Ella Roberts starring through the midfield finishing with 23 disposals, six clearances and a goal, while Amy Franklin booted three majors. The Eagles finished strongly with six of the final seven goals to snap a two-game losing streak and return to the top eight.

What is means for the Eagles: After a breakthrough 2025 campaign that delivered the Club's maiden AFLW finals appearance, the Eagles will be eager to start the new season strongly and continue building on the foundations they've established. With a talented young list and growing belief under Daisy Pearce, Sunday's clash is an opportunity to set the tone for the year ahead. A strong performance against GWS would provide early momentum and reinforce West Coast's ambition to take the next step after its best AFLW season yet.

The stat: The Giants had no answer for Ella Roberts last time around, with the Eagles star collecting 23 disposals, six clearances and a major.

Oppo in focus: Alyce Parker remains the heartbeat of the Giants' midfield and one of the competition's premier contested ball winners. A two-time All Australian and four-time club champion, Parker combines strength around stoppages with elite ball-winning ability and relentless competitiveness. After missing most of the 2025 season through injury, the star midfielder is back leading from the front and will be a key figure in GWS's engine room. If Parker gets her hands on the football and starts driving the Giants forward, she can have a major influence on the contest.

It’s a big week for: Mia Russo and Jovie Skewes-Clinton

After impressing throughout their first pre-season in blue and gold, Mia Russo and Jovie Skewes-Clinton are set to realise their AFLW dreams on Sunday. Selected in the 2025 AFLW Draft, the exciting young duo have earned their opportunities through strong performances on the track and will pull on an AFLW jumper for the first time. Russo's toughness and ball-winning ability around the contest, combined with Skewes-Clinton's versatility and forward craft, add another layer of excitement to an Eagles side looking to build on last year's breakthrough season.

Big call: The Eagles' two AFLW debutants Mia Russo and Jovie Skewes-Clinton make an immediate impact, combining for 35+ disposals.

West Coast's 2026 AFLW campaign hasn't started the way the Eagles hoped, following a 12-point defeat to Greater Western Sydney on the road in round one.

The Giants, who finished 17th last year with just two wins, broke open a close game at Engie Stadium, with three successive goals in four minutes in the third quarter.

West Coast kicked the last three goals of the game on Sunday but GWS hung on to register an 8.6 (54) to 6.6 (42) win, its first in four attempts at the venue.

Rebecca Beeson kicked two opportunistic efforts and forward Tarni Evans booted her third goal of the game to set up a 17-point lead at three-quarter time.

The veteran midfielder bagged her third major early in the last quarter and Mikayla Pauga blew the margin out to 29 points when her kick for goal took a favourable bounce.

Keeley Skepper and Isabella Shannon kicked goals to reduce the margin to 17 with just over nine minutes left and Charlotte Thomas added another with just over a minute remaining.

Beeson had never kicked more than one goal In a match in her previous 73 AFLW games.

Evans booted three goals in a game for the fourth time.

West Coast had 15 more inside 50s but left its run too late.

The first half was a tight, low-scoring affair, with Evans kicking a goal from a set shot and the Eagles' Amy Franklin responding in kind.

A Georgia Garnett snap regained the lead for GWS, but Kellie Gibson prodded the ball over from a couple of metres out right on quarter-time to give West Coast a three-point lead.

An Evans snap provided the only goal of the second quarter, with GWS leading by four at half-time.

The lead changed hands again when Eagles star Ella Roberts took a mark and wheeled around and kicked a booming snap, but Beeson replied almost immediately and the Giants took control.

Eagles co-captains Bella Lewis (28) and Thomas (25) were the leading possession getters, with Lewis notching a career-high tally.

GWS star Alyce Parker tallied 23 touches and won a match-high 10 clearances.

The Eagles return home to host Gold Coast in round two next Saturday at Mineral Resources Park.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.1    3.3    6.5    8.6 (54)
WEST COAST                            2.4    2.5    3.6    6.6 (42)

GOALS
Greater Western Sydney: Evans 3, Beeson 3, Garnett, Pauga
West Coast: Franklin, Gibson, Roberts, Skepper, Shannon, Thomas

BEST 
Greater Western Sydney: Evans, Parker, Beeson, Lucas-Rodd, O'Dowd, McCormick
West Coast: Lewis, Thomas, Skepper, L.Wakfer, Britton, Bushby

INJURIES
Greater Western Sydney: Nil
West Coast: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: TBC at Engie Stadium