'Pretty historic': Giants brace for biggest crowd in years in Anzac Day blockbuster

Giants officials expect the Manuka Oval ticket allocation will be exhausted 24 hours before their clash against the Brisbane Lions on Thursday.

Chief executive Dave Matthews hopes the surge in support will help the club record its highest Canberra membership tally since partnering with the ACT government in 2012.

The Giants sold all tickets to their first game this year against St Kilda, with 12,448 in the stands. While technically a sellout, and the biggest crowd for a Giants game since 2019, there were still some empty seats.

With tickets flying out the door for the Anzac clash, the Giants are confident they can hit the 13,000 mark for the first time since 2017. Matthews expects the few remaining tickets will be sold in the next 24 hours.

The Giants ask to have an Anzac round game at Manuka each season, but have only once before been granted an opportunity to play on April 25. "It's a fixture request for us on an annual basis," Matthews said.

"It's something we think is really significant to be able to play this game in the nation's capital. We want to get a game on Anzac Day, or in and around it. It's an important fixture and the sort of thing you'd like to lock in [regularly]."

The Giants will kickstart a triple-header of sport in Canberra. They play last year's grand finalists the Lions on Thursday night before the ACT Brumbies host the Wellington Hurricanes at Canberra Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Canberra Raiders round out the weekend when they play the Cronulla Sharks on Sunday afternoon. All three games will feature commemorative Anzac jerseys.

Playing on Anzac Day is regarded as one of the marquee opportunities in the AFL, with the Giants to follow the traditional Collingwood-Essendon game at the MCG.

The Giants have played on Anzac Day just once before - a game against the Gold Coast Suns in 2015. But ticket sales for this year's event have already smashed the 6971 who turned up nine years ago and will guarantee the biggest crowd in Canberra in years

"I think it will sell out by Wednesday lunch time and I'd encourage anyone who's thinking of heading along to get their tickets," Matthews said.

"It's a pretty historic game ... Thursday night against last year's grand finalists. The rivalry with Brisbane is alive and well ... we'd love to sell this one out."

The Giants, however, will be sweating on the outcome of two cases at the tribunal on Tuesday night. Skipper Toby Greene and Jesse Hogan will challenge their one-match bans, with Giants hierarchy confident they have strong cases to free them to play against the Lions.

Greene was hit with a rough conduct charge after an incident on Jordan Boyd, and Hogan for striking Lewis Young in separate incidents in the Giants' first loss of the season last weekend.

Losing Greene and Hogan would be a tough blow after a strong start to the year, which included a one-point win against St Kilda at Manuka earlier this month.

More than 12,000 watched that game go down to the wire, and Matthews is hoping the resurgence in crowds helps tip the club into the record membership category.

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The Giants have already set an overall membership record after passing the 33,000 mark, and they have set their sights on passing the Canberra record of 6593.

"We would love to see that broken," Matthews said.

"All the indicators are really positive. The atmosphere at the St Kilda game was outstanding ... initially because we were a startup club we had a small but enthusiastic group in Canberra.

"For this game, we'll honour the Anzac legend and there's plenty to look forward to."