'Out-toughed': Wounded Giants target Saints contest

GWS will seek to restore wounded pride at the coalface when they host under-fire St Kilda in another tough early-season test.

After stunning Hawthorn in their season-opener, the Giants were brought back to earth when beaten up by the Western Bulldogs last week.

But GWS star Lachie Whitfield is confident that was just a blip on the radar as Adam Kingsley's men seek to get their season back on the right track.

"The contest and clearance battles we lost pretty comprehensively and there were instances all over the ground where they just probably out-toughed us," Whitfield told AAP.

"We had a good look at that and in a sense it's lucky it's only round one because we've got a lot of time to rectify that.

"Energy and effort around the ball are things we pride ourselves on, so to let ourselves down in that area is really quite annoying, but we'll be alright.

"We've had some good chats throughout the week and we'll sort it out."

The Giants have won their last four clashes with St Kilda, who entered 2026 as one of the teams to watch after their off-season recruiting spree.

The new-look Saints, who visit Engie Stadium on Saturday, have so far fallen short of expectation in losses to Collingwood and Melbourne.

"They've been in both of those games and they've got a lot of talent on the park," Whitfield said.

"They'll be hungry to get their first win on the board and I'm expecting a tough game, that's for sure.

"You always reflect on previous games and they've always been tight games - it's not like they've been a walk in the park.

"We can take some confidence from how we've played against them but they look a different team this year and they're playing in a bit of a different manner, so we're definitely not taking them lightly."

Saints superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has been under an intense spotlight early in the season, his impact restricted by close attention from opponents.

The Giants can't call upon first-choice tagger Toby Bedford (hamstring) to line up on Wanganeen-Milera, but could send the likes of Xavier O'Halloran or Harry Rowston to the gun playmaker.

"He's obviously a premier mover in the game so you have to put some attention into these types of guys," Whitfield said.

"We'd be silly not to at least look at it (a tag)."

Saturday's game will be the Giants' last at their regular home ground until round nine, with the venue unavailable around Sydney's Royal Easter Show.

"To be able to get a couple of early wins there is hugely important to us before we hit the road for an extended period of time," Whitfield said.

"We'll be trying our hardest to get that win and our form at home is pretty good."