Bathurst Giants looking to bounce back from AFL Central West opening round defeat against local rivals Bathurst Bushrangers

Following a slow start in the opening match, Giants would mount a fourth quarter revival, but would ultimately fall short by two points. Sloan was able to boot three goals in the AFL Central West fixture.

Sloan, last season's leading goal scorer in the first grade competition, is feeling confident about his team's chances in the round two fixture but remains wary of the formidable Bushrangers.

"I'm feeling pretty confident we can bounce back," he said.

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"We all know the Bushrangers are a really good team, especially on their home ground and they have a lot of quality players that we're going to have to put a lot of work into.

"We've got a few in's this week, which I think will help a lot. I know there were quite a few people crook that missed out last week, so I think everyone is feeling a lot better, so we should be close to having a pretty good team."

Sloan said coach Mark Kennedy had emphasised in training this week that the Giants needed to have a much better start if they wanted any chance of beating the local rivals.

"We need to start better. We were really sluggish in the first and second quarter," he said.

"We obviously came home really well in the last quarter, but I think if we can start well it can set up the game for us to play good footy for four quarters. That'll put us in a really good position, but it's all about the start."

While he booted three goals in the opening match, all of Sloan's majors came in the final quarter of the match. Sloan said he was kept at bay for the majority of the game by Dubbo defender Jack Storer.

"I actually didn't kick any goals in the first three quarters, so I didn't have much of it. I was pretty frustrated with my effort in the first three quarters," he said.

"We got some good delivery in the last quarter, when everyone started to wake up, which helped. I think everyone was a bit rusty.

"It was good to carry on with a bit of form from last year though, but there some really good defenders in the league and Jack Storer from Dubbo, he marked me really, really well. He's really hard to match up against.

"Alex Davey will probably go to me this week and he's held me really well in the past few years."

Saturday's match is expected to be played in cold conditions, meaning if there is lingering water on George Park 2 it may not completely dry in time for Saturday's match.

Sloan said it should make for a fairly even contest if those conditions come to fruition.

"I think the wet conditions will make it a pretty even content," he said.

"I think the Bushrangers and us prefer the dry conditions but with it being wet, the footy will be on the ground a lot more.

"It'll be all about who can win the ball and whoever wins that contest will probably win the match."

Sloan is one of five players to have booted three goals in the opening round.

While Giants' first grade team is at home on Saturday, the reserve grade team is head to Parkes to play the Panthers at Northparkes Oval at 10am.

The first grade match between Giants and Bushrangers starts at 2.15pm at George Park 2.

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