The Western Bulldogs will resume their modern-day rivalry with GWS attempting to shake off a difficult week and kickstart their AFL season.
Last year's grand finalists sit 10th, a full two wins outside the top eight, after a rollercoaster first half of the year.
The lead-up to Bulldogs-Giants games typically revisit their various spiteful clashes over the past seven years in particular.
But Saturday night's game at Giants Stadium has been overshadowed by Bailey Smith's admission of illicit drug use and subsequent suspension.
Smith, whose two-week drugs ban comes on top of his two-week suspension for headbutting Geelong's Zach Tuohy, returned to Bulldogs training on Friday as his teammates headed north.
Eyeing a fresh spark, the Bulldogs have turned to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan for his first game since round six while Josh Schache will make his fourth AFL appearance of the season.
Making an impact will be crucial for both talls, especially with Josh Bruce returning from his ACL injury via the VFL this week.
Jason Johannisen will make his first appearance of the season.
GWS sit 13th but Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge was well and truly aware of the threat the Giants posed.
"It's intriguing. There's no doubt that a rivalry has built up over the years. I don't know where it started, I don't know which game it commenced, but it's definitely there. It's palpable at times," he said.
"Both clubs have had their own periods where we've had the upper hand after some victories, and they've sat us on our behinds once or twice, significantly in the elimination final a couple of years ago."
Beveridge believed the heat in the rivalry was still there.
"As I said to the players this morning, as the personnel changes year to year and even now the leadership from a coaching point of view is different (with Leon Cameron departing) it'll be subtly different again, but it doesn't go away," he said.
"We need to be on guard as to what they're going to bring, and be ready based on what we know about the past.
"Their recent performances have been pretty good. They've got within a couple of goals of a really strong Brisbane Lions outfit and they've obviously knocked over (West Coast) and North Melbourne quite convincingly. So we'll have our work cut out."
The Giants have recalled Nick Haynes and Braydon Preuss after the pair returned from sickness via the VFL, while Ryan Angwin will debut.
But Tim Taranto and Phil Davis will be brought back via the VFL.
