North Melbourne suffered another blow to its injury-ravaged defence with Josh Goater rupturing an Achilles in the 39-point defeat to Greater Western Sydney
01:37
Interview
Interview
Zane Duursma on his debut
NMFC Media speaks to Zane Duursma following his first AFL game against GWS
06:33
'We're shattered for him': Clarkson on Goater
North Melbourne senior coach Alastair Clarkson speaks to the media following the loss to GWS
05:52
AFL R1 match highlights: GWS v North Melbourne
The Giants and Kangaroos clash in Round 1
00:50
Late blow for Roos as young gun goes down
Josh Goater gets carried off the field after suffering what appears to be an Achilles injury late in the final term
AFL R1 match report: Giants prove too strong in season-opener
Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan continued his impressive early-season form with his six-goal haul helping the Giants to a 39-point win over North Melbourne at Engie Stadium on Saturday
AFL R1 Mazda Excellence Award: Vote to win!
Who was your best North Melbourne player against GWS?
AFL R1 match gallery: Giants v Kangaroos
All the best photos from our season-opening clash against GWS
00:46
Milestone man kicks ripper on the left
Cam Zurhaar kicks a cracking snap goal in his 100th AFL game
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Roos fans are encouraged to plan their trip and consider all available travel options ahead of Saturday’s match.
Due to the Easter Show preparations in Sydney Olympic Park, some road closures are impacting access to ENGIE Stadium and the P1 carpark, so please note that the entry point for ENGIE Stadium has changed.
Patrons now enter via Showground Road, off Murray Rose Avenue, directly next to Olympic Park Train Station, or through Grand Parade (P1 parking gate).
Dawn Fraser Avenue is the designated ride share/taxi drop-off zone for the ground.
Trains run regularly to Olympic Park and the stadium is a short walk from the station. Direct trains will run from Central Station to Sydney Olympic Park from 3.31pm on Saturday.
Please note that pre-booked parking at Sydney Olympic Park for this Saturday is sold out.
All travel options to ENGIE Stadium can be found here.
Watch on TV or stream on your phone
Saturday's game will be broadcast live for Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers.
For behind-the-scenes access and all the best highlights, photos, stats and stories, we’ve got you covered.
Follow the @NMFCOfficial accounts on Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok to stay up to date with everything happening at the match and don't forget to use #Kangas.
Greater Western Sydney got its season off to the perfect start as one of the four teams to triumph in Opening Round, downing reigning premiers Collingwood by 32 points in front of a home crowd.
The 'Orange Tsunami' was in full effect after half-time as Adam Kingsley's group surged to victory, spearheaded by forwards Jesse Hogan, Callum Brown, and Brent Daniels, who combined for 13 goals.
It's going to be a solid test for the Roos' new-look backline, but an opportunity for the contingent to make an early statement.
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North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson on Tuesday: "What every team in the competition wants to have is potent weapons everywhere. For Toby Greene to have a lower impact (in Opening Round) than what he usually would have, yet they (GWS) still beat the reigning premier by five goals [is significant]. [Brayden] Maynard did a pretty good job keeping Toby out of the game, but then three or four others pop up and that's utopia for a coach and a footy club. So, our challenge is to make sure our defence is working well enough to cover all those options."
17:22
GWS coach Adam Kingsley post-game v Collingwood: "The fact that we didn't rely on one or two players [to kick goals was pleasing]. We had a real mixture of goalkickers, we spread the love. It was great to see Callum Brown capitalise on some of the opportunities he's been getting in front of goals ... [Brent Daniels] is a beautiful finisher, and the pressure he applied would have created a lot of goals too."
Bull on parade
After being left stranded on 99 League appearances in 2023 due to an ankle injury, Cam Zurhaar finally gets the chance to bring up the ton on Saturday afternoon.
A bruising forward who can hit the scoreboard and get involved higher up the ground, North Melbourne's No.44 has spent seven years on the list after being selected with the 11th pick of the 2016 Rookie Draft.
Clarkson said on Tuesday the 25-year-old can become a "special player" in the near future, and Roos fans will be hoping this is the year that 'Bull' can take his game to another level.
AFL R1 match report: Giants prove too strong in season-opener
Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan continued his impressive early-season form with his six-goal haul helping the Giants to a 39-point win over North Melbourne at Engie Stadium on Saturday
Greater Western Sydney has overcome a spirited challenge from a new-look North Melbourne to run away to a 39-point triumph on Saturday.
The Giants gradually wore down the sharp-shooting Kangaroos as Jesse Hogan dominated up forward for the second week running in the 17.19 (121) to 13.4 (82) victory at Engie Stadium.
Hogan booted six goals - on the back of four against Collingwood in Opening Round - while hauling in eight marks and gathering 18 disposals, while Jake Riccardi made a fast-start with three majors in the first quarter against the Kangaroos' undersized and inexperienced backline.
Giants onballer Tom Green made his mark as much around the ground as at the stoppages to finish with 37 disposals, eight tackles, six clearances and a goal, while Josh Kelly had 24 touches and booted two majors in his 200th match.
Stephen Coniglio (30 disposals) and Lachie Whitfield (29) found plenty of the ball as the Giants looked to link up through the corridor, but captain Toby Greene paid the price for wayward kicking to finish with 0.4.
The Kangaroos made 12 changes from their Round 1 team last year including the addition of highly touted draftees Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma.
00:42
Ball-magnet McKercher made an immediate impact with nine disposals in the opening term while being trusted with kick-in duties on debut. The No.2 pick looked to create opportunities off half-back and regularly impressed with his slick kicking while gathering 22 disposals.
Duursma opened the scoring for the Kangaroos after streaming forward to leave his marker trailing behind and receiving a handball from Paul Curtis on the edge of the goalsquare in the first term. The No.4 pick added another major following a high-leaping mark in a promising debut.
The Roos booted eight goals straight in the first half to stay in touch with the Giants, even as the hosts held the sway around much of the ground with their rapid transitions.
Luke Davies-Uniacke (29 disposals, eight clearances) and Tom Powell (26, six) were keys to the Kangaroos getting on top around the stoppages (32-27), while reigning Rising Star winner Harry Sheezel (32) was critical to their better ball movement.
Nick Larkey edged an enthralling duel with Sam Taylor despite the Giants' gun defender winning the battle in the air, as the Roos' stand-in skipper found other ways to score to finish with three goals.
The Kangaroos will also be buoyed by the efforts of Tristan Xerri (18 disposals, eight clearances) following the departure of club stalwart Todd Goldstein. The first-choice ruck had the better of Giants big man Kieren Briggs (nine, four) and drifted forward to boot a late goal.
00:46
Roos recruits impress on club debut While prized draftees Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma looked more than capable at the elite level, experienced recruits Zac Fisher and Dylan Stephens showed how they could boost the Roos this season. Fisher was a standout with his run and carry while gathering 21 disposals, while Stephens' versatility will be crucial when the Kangaroos need to plug holes. Toby Pink faced a tough task in his AFL debut with his second club, but battled hard while under siege in the Roos' injury-ravaged defence.
Home hoodoo smashed in temporary farewell The Giants were yet to beat North Melbourne on home turf after losing their three previous clashes at Engie Stadium, and dropping their only encounter at Manuka Oval in 2014. But the Giants have now beaten every club as hosts after smashing their hoodoo against the Kangaroos. The Giants quickly looked more familiar with the windy conditions and eventually blew away the Roos to make it back-to-back victories at Engie Stadium. However the Giants won't return to the venue until Round 10, in part due to the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
'Your hard work has paid off': Colby, Zane deliver the news to their parents
Colby's parents Darren and Nicole, and Zane's parents Susie and Dean find out that their sons are debuting on Saturday
02:24
'We're all behind you': Gun draftees are told they're debuting
Using old messages - real or fake - Hugh Greenwood and Nick Larkey tell draftees Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma that they will be making their AFL debuts
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 4.3 10.7 15.11 17.19 (121) NORTH MELBOURNE 2.0 8.0 10.4 13.4 (82)
GOALS Greater Western Sydney: Hogan 6, Riccardi 3, Brown 2, Cadman 2, Kelly 2, Bedford, Green North Melbourne: Larkey 3, Curtis 2, Duursma 2, Stephenson 2, Ford, Shiels, Xerri, Zurhaar
BEST Greater Western Sydney: Green, Hogan, Whitfield, Coniglio, Kelly, Callaghan, Riccardi North Melbourne: Davies-Uniacke, Sheezel, Powell, Fisher, Larkey, McKercher
INJURIES Greater Western Sydney: Nil North Melbourne: Goater (ruptured Achilles)
SUBSTITUTES Greater Western Sydney: Nick Haynes (replaced Xavier O'Halloran in the third quarter) North Melbourne: Liam Shiels (replaced Callum Coleman-Jones in the third quarter)
Crowd: 8,034 at Engie Stadium
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Roos defender ruptures Achilles
North Melbourne suffered another blow to its injury-ravaged defence with Josh Goater rupturing an Achilles in the 39-point defeat to Greater Western Sydney
01:37
Interview
Interview
Zane Duursma on his debut
NMFC Media speaks to Zane Duursma following his first AFL game against GWS
06:33
'We're shattered for him': Clarkson on Goater
North Melbourne senior coach Alastair Clarkson speaks to the media following the loss to GWS
05:52
AFL R1 match highlights: GWS v North Melbourne
The Giants and Kangaroos clash in Round 1
00:50
Late blow for Roos as young gun goes down
Josh Goater gets carried off the field after suffering what appears to be an Achilles injury late in the final term
AFL R1 match report: Giants prove too strong in season-opener
Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan continued his impressive early-season form with his six-goal haul helping the Giants to a 39-point win over North Melbourne at Engie Stadium on Saturday
AFL R1 Mazda Excellence Award: Vote to win!
Who was your best North Melbourne player against GWS?
AFL R1 match gallery: Giants v Kangaroos
All the best photos from our season-opening clash against GWS
00:46
Milestone man kicks ripper on the left
Cam Zurhaar kicks a cracking snap goal in his 100th AFL game