Sport
17 April, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Football Round 2 Preview — Avoca vs Maryborough Giants
Avoca will host the Maryborough Giants on Saturday and will be looking forward to the challenge the visitors will bring.
The Giants come into the clash full of confidence after a strong round one victory over Lexton, while Avoca is looking to bounce back following a tough loss to Newstead.
Both sides will be without key players. The Bulldogs will miss Byron Wynd due to a concussion, while the Giants are likely to be without Lachlan Bates, who rolled his ankle in the dying stages of their hard-fought win over the Tigers.
The last time these two sides met in 2025, Avoca secured a narrow nine-point victory. However, the Giants appear to head into this encounter as favourites based on their round one performance.
Matt Johnson, who missed last week, could return and add valuable experience to the Giants lineup. He may be tasked with matching up with Bulldogs star Alex Riches, who was a standout performer against Newstead.
Kayleb Eggers impressed in the reserves last round and has a strong record against the Bulldogs, kicking three goals the last time the teams met. He looms as a likely inclusion to help cover the absence of Bates.
Jacob Rollason is another who missed last week and will be a strong inclusion up forward.
Avoca will be hoping home ground advantage works in their favour, but they face a tough challenge to maintain their unbeaten record against the Giants. Based on current form, the Giants look well placed to break through for their first win over the Bulldogs.