Big night planned for Giants’ clash with Suns

The Goldfields Giants head into Saturday night’s home clash against the lowly Eastern Suns already guaranteed a men’s play-offs berth for the first time in two years, but the squad won’t be resting on their laurels.

With three games left of the qualifying series, the Giants are in sixth, but with opportunities to crash the top four that carries a double chance.

Mandurah hold down fourth spot but are only a game ahead of fifth-placed East Perth and the Giants, each with 11 wins.

The Suns head to Kalgoorlie-Boulder in 10th place with a 6-13 win-loss record, while the Giants have won seven of their past nine games.

As part of this weekend’s First Nations Round 2024, the Giants will wear game jerseys specially designed by artist Talisia Bourne and sponsored by local Indigenous company Kai Rho Contracting.

Footprints depicted on the jerseys are said to “represent all the diverse cultures with the Goldfields Giants that connect with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the Goldfields”.

Also on Saturday night, a minute of silence will be observed for inaugural Giants player and former head coach Barry Lawson, who died last week aged 70.

Lawson was honoured by the Giants with life membership in 1997 and is also a life member of Olympians Basketball Club.

His funeral service will be on Tuesday July 9 at Fremantle Cemetery’s West Chapel from 3pm.

The Giants’ final home game is on July 13 against Warwick, and the squad rounds out the qualifiers the following Saturday night on the road against East Perth.

The division’s top four comprises Geraldton (18-1), Willetton (14-4), Joondalup (14-5), and Mandurah (12-7).