While many will argue the Giants' rivalry with crosstown foes the Swans is the fledgling club's biggest grudge match, their short history with the Western Bulldogs has also been spiteful at times.

The animosity harks back to 2011 when western suburbs' boy Callan Ward was lured away from Whitten Oval with a massive contract to be the Sydney club's inaugural co-captain along with fellow defector, Adelaide's Phil Davis.

Three years later, the bitterness went up a notch when Ryan Griffen demanded a trade to GWS after falling out with then Bulldogs' coach Brendan McCartney. Believing their skipper had been approached in an unscrupulous manner, the Dogs hit back by convincing homesick number one draft pick Tom Boyd his future was at the Kennel, and the key forward was rewarded for his faith with a multi-million dollar deal.

And while he'd probably never admit it, Leon Cameron may hold some ill feeling towards the Bulldogs after the club he represented for 172-games narrowly overlooked him for McCartney as the senior coach back in 2011.

That history will be just another subplot when the third-placed Giants host the fifth-placed Bulldogs in Sunday's match of the round. AFL.com.au takes a look at players who could very well spend a lot of time looking at and thinking about each other every September for years to come.

Bulldogs defence v Giants forwards
It's a tale of two contrasting, but highly successful set-ups. GWS built its star-studded attack through generous start-up concessions and early picks, while the Bulldogs constructed the AFL's stingiest backline through astute recruiting. 

Although the Dogs will go into Sunday's clash missing five first-choice defenders, their heralded 'team defence' - in concert with a rampaging midfield – has seen them negotiate the injury curse admirably.

First-year sensation Marcus Adams and youngsters Kieran Collins and Zaine Cordy look set for many titanic battles against the Giants' imposing triple threat of Jeremy Cameron, Jon Patton and Rory Lobb. Defensive playmakers Easton Wood, Jason Johannisen and Shane Biggs should expect plenty of match-ups with goalsneaks Devon Smith, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Toby Greene overthe ensuing years.

And in the 'catch them while you can' contest, the irrepressible Steve Johnson's duel with the ever-dependable Dale Morris will be worth the admission price alone over the next year or two. – Ryan Davidson

Midfields
Both clubs have a wealth of midfield depth and a great mix of inside ball winners to complement outside runners, but the Bulldogs' on-ball division has turned them into the best contested ball side in the competition. Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Mitch Wallis and Luke Dahlhaus have enormous presence at stoppages, and Jackson Macrae, Lachie Hunter and Liam Picken are just as effective at winning their own ball as they are at receiving it.

Co-captain Callan Ward, Stephen Coniglio and Dylan Shiel are thenumber one centre-square unit at the Giants, who have improved their contested game markedly in 2016, with Ryan Griffen, Lachie Whitfield, Josh Kelly and Tom Scully exciting link players.

Shane Mumford gives GWS a decided advantage in the ruck over Tom Campbell and Jordan Roughead, but the options at theKennel give them the points in this match-up. Bontempelli versus Coniglio is a likely rivalry that all footy fans can look forward to over the next decade. - Adam Curley

Giants defence v Bulldogs forwards
It's one All Australian apiece in this one, but when you dig deeper than Heath Shaw and Jake Stringer, it's the Giants with their noses in front. Shaw is the best small defender in the league and Nathan Wilson possesses an elite kick and blistering speed, giving GWS two fantastic attacking backmen.

Co-captain Phil Davis, Aidan Corr, Caleb Marchbank and Joel Patfull fill the key posts when they stay on the park, and Nick Haynes and Matt Buntine have the versatility to play tall or small. Haynes is a likely match-up for Stringer this weekend and the pair should cross paths regularly in the future.

Big targets Jack Redpath and Tom Boyd have been serviceable, and Tory Dickson, Caleb Daniel and Toby Maclean add bite, butthe Dogs attack is ranked 10th in the competition, which doesn't stack up that well against the Giants' fourth-ranked defence. - Adam Curley

Conclusion
With the Giants having the AFL's second youngest list and the Dogs the fifth, Sunday's much-anticipated encounter at Spotless Stadium should be a precursor for many a September showdown. And the rivalry could shift from trade table to the finals as early as this year, with both teams arguably in premiership contention.  

The battle in the coaches' box also looms as a pivotal one, with former Footscray teammates Leon Cameron and Luke Beveridge two of the competition's youngest and savviest tacticians. So if both clubs can continue to develop their highly talented lists, and Lady Luck keeps the injuries away, the next five or so years should see a premiership flag or two flying high in the west of both Sydney and Melbourne. – Ryan Davidson