Itching for the next challenge

Mathew Stokes says it wouldn’t matter who Geelong were playing this week - they will be looking within for inspiration.

“I think Saturday night can’t come quick enough for the boys,” Stokes said in the wake of the loss to now premiership favourites Collingwood.

“I think the best thing about our club is that if we worry about our own game and play the style we want to play, and go out in a good frame of mind, then we are confident that we can win.

“I think if we play confident, play on and attack, but also hunt the footy, it doesn’t matter who we play we are from confident we can beat them.”

Recent history suggests there is not a lot between Geelong and the Western Bulldogs. In their past three meetings the Cats are ahead 2-1.

• Geelong won in round nine last year by two points but only after the Dogs missed a late chance to snatch victory.
• Then in round 21, the Bulldogs got their revenge with a 14-point win at Etihad Stadium.
• But Geelong took the one that counted when they inflicted a 14-point qualifying final defeat on the Dogs after a sizzling opening term at the MCG in September.

Remarkably, the teams haven’t met at all this season and will face-off in their one and only home-and-away clash on Saturday night at Etihad.

 

The Dogs have run into some excellent form, winning five in a row, including a tenacious victory over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

 

And Stokes says there is a great deal of mutual respect between the clubs.

“As a player you always want to play against the better teams and they are certainly one of them,” he said.

“I think we play a pretty similar game plan. Neither side has had the wood on the other and I don’t this week will be any different.

“We’ll both be looking for the edge coming into finals.”

But Stokes reiterated that the Cats focus at this time of the year was on getting their game style right.

“I don’t think the win-loss worries us too much at this time of the year, it is more about the way we play football, it is the way we go about it not whether we win or lose,” he said.

Stokes said the team would be near enough to full strength and the players had been buoyed by the probable return of Max Rooke in the VFL this week.

Rooke has played just the one match in 2010 because of a chronic knee complaint. He was sent to the United States for treatment and returned with high hopes of forcing his way into the team before the end of the season.

Stokes said this week’s review of the Collingwood loss pulled no punches.

“I think our reviews are pretty honest, we say what has to be said and we are big boys and can cop a bit of criticism,” Stokes said.

“We weren’t happy with the way we played and now we move on and hopefully we play them again in the finals.”