Melbourne Demons (10-8) face a crucial test as they host GWS Giants (11-7) at the MCG on Saturday night.
The Demons are desperate to bounce back from a damaging loss against Fremantle that has severely dented their finals aspirations. Currently sitting outside the top eight, the Demons know a victory would propel them back into contention, but they'll have to overcome the absence of star ruckman Max Gawn and midfield maestro Christian Petracca, whose absence was glaringly obvious in their heavy defeat to the Dockers where they lost by a whopping 31 points.
On the other hand, the Giants are riding high on a three-game winning streak, having comfortably dispatched the Gold Coast Suns in their latest outing. Adam Kingsley's men find themselves just two points behind Brisbane and Fremantle in third and fourth respectively, and with a tough run home, these four points could prove pivotal in their quest for a top-four berth.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Melbourne vs GWS Giants in the AFL, plus plenty more.
Melbourne vs GWS Giants date and start time
| Date | Saturday, July 27, 2024 |
| Start time | 7:30pm AEST/ 7:00pm ACST/ 5:30pm AWST |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) |
| Location | Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
How to watch Melbourne vs GWS Giants on TV & stream live online
There are several options to watch the Melbourne Demons vs GWS Giants AFL game in Australia, including Network Seven, Foxtel, Foxtel from Telstra, and Kayo Sports.
The best way to livestream the aforementioned AFL game is through Kayo with a seven-day free trial. It also does not have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you are no longer using it.
All you need to decide is whether you want to pick Kayo One at $25 per month (1 stream and up to HD), or Kayo Basic at $35 per month (2 streams and up to 4K).
What channel is Melbourne vs GWS Giants game on?
The game will be broadcast live on 7mate on free-to-air TV and will be available to watch Fox Footy on pay TV. Triple M, ABC and AFL Nation will provide the radio coverage.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Melbourne vs GWS Giants team news
Melbourne Demons
Christian Salem has suffered a low grade hamstring strain and will miss the entire month. Koltyn Tholstrup is in concussion protocol after suffering a head hit over the weekend.
Max Gawn is a test this weekend but will need to pass a fitness test to ensure selection.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Soldo, Sweet, Ratugolea, Visentini |
| Defenders | Burton, McKenzie, Clurey, Aliir, Zerk-Thatcher, McCallum, Marshall, Houston, Farrell, Burgoyne, Williams, L. Jones |
| Midfielders | Rozee, Sinn, Butters, Boak, Bergman, Wines, Charleson, Drew, Lorenz, Jackson, Mead |
| Forwards | Marshall, Finlayson, Lord, Scully, Walsh, Powell-Pepper, Riolli, Horne-Francis, Georgiades, Dixon, Anastasopoulos, Evans, Scully, Byrne-Jones, McEntee, Narkle |
GWS Giants
Isaac Cumming has been declared out for the rest of the regular season due to a hamstring injury. Stephen Coniglio and Sam Taylor will both going to be put through their paces to determine their fitness for this weekend.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Preuss, Briggs, Madden |
| Defenders | Whitfield, Ash, Cumming, Haynes, Taylor, Aleer, Himmelberg, Leake, Perryman, Fonti, Cadman, Taylor, Aleer, Himmelberg, Buckley |
| Midfielders | Jones, Coniglio, Ward, Angwin, Wehr, Green, Callaghan, Rowston, Thomas, Fahey, Hamilton, Derksen |
| Forwards | Greene, Cadman, Bedford, Daniels, Stone, Peatling, Kelly, Hogan, Peatling, McMullin, O'Halloran, Kennedy, Wardius, Brown, Cadman, Haynes, Keeffe, Riccardi, Gruzewski |
Melbourne vs GWS Form
Melbourne: WLWWL
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R19 | Fremantle 116-66 Melbourne |
| R18 | Melbourne 84-67 Essendon |
| R17 | Melbourne 112-58 West Coast |
| R16 | Brisbane 86-81 Melbourne |
| R15 | North Melbourne 70-67 Melbourne |
GWS: LLWWW
| Round | Match |
|---|---|
| R19 | GWS 89-50 Gold Coast |
| R18 | Richmond 84-108 GWS |
| R17 | GWS 116-104 Carlton |
| R16 | Adelaide 94-78 GWS |
| R15 | GWS 75-102 Sydney |
Melbourne vs GWS Head-to-Head Results
| Year | Match |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Demons 45-47 Giants |
| 2022 | Demons 120-53 Giants |
| 2021 | Demons 55-64 Giants |
| 2021 | Giants 68-102 Demons |
| 2020 | Giants 74-79 Demons |