GWS Giants set to host Brisbane in AFL Anzac Day match at Manuka Oval

The Giants will host the Lions at Manuka Oval in a prime time slot on April 25, with Channel Seven's Thursday night broadcast tipped to attract huge ratings following the traditional Collingwood-Essendon clash earlier that day.

It sets the scene for a blockbuster triple-header for Canberra fans, with the Giants playing on Thursday before the ACT Brumbies and Canberra Raiders play at Canberra Stadium on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

The game marks the first Anzac Day match to be played in Canberra since 2015, when the Giants hosted the Gold Coast Suns in front of 6917 people.

The GWS-Lions clash, which features two of this year's preliminary finalists, is expected to draw a bumper crowd as part of the Giants' $28.5 million deal with the ACT government to bring matches to Manuka Oval.

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The Giants' other two fixtures will be revealed when the AFL's season 2024 fixture is published on Thursday, with one to come before the Anzac Day game and one to follow later in the season.

"It's really exciting to headline our 2024 Canberra fixture with a prime time Anzac fixture," Giants chief executive David Matthews said.

"It will be an honour to play in Canberra on such a significant day and no doubt our club will play our part among the community on such a meaningful occasion.

"The ability to host a grand finalist side, paired with the form that the Giants brought at the end of 2023 provides a really exciting match up for the footy fans in the nation's capital.

"We continue to receive great support from our members and fans in Canberra. They're an integral part of our orange army and have been for over 12 years, and we look forward to our three fixtures once again in season 2024."

The Anzac Day fixture will mark the third year in succession the Giants have hosted the Lions in Canberra. The corresponding clash drew 10,461 fans earlier this year, while 9010 witnessed the two teams play at Manuka Oval in 2022.

This year's Giants-Lions fixture brought in the club's third-biggest Canberra crowd in four years, with officials hopeful of bettering those numbers with both sides tipped to be premiership contenders.

Brisbane were beaten in this year's grand final by four points against Collingwood, who had pipped the Giants by just one point in the preliminary final a week prior.

Officials are confident of luring a crowd for one of the AFL's most highly-anticipated days, with Anzac Day games few and far between in Canberra across all codes.

The ACT Brumbies hosted an Anzac Day game against New Zealand's Waikato Chiefs in 2014. The fixture attracted 16,159 fans and had the club pushing to turn Anzac Day Super Rugby games into a tradition in Canberra.

The Canberra Raiders hosted South Sydney in front of 13,145 for an NRL Anzac Day game in 2010.

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