OPPONENT: St Kilda
VENUE: Etihad Stadium
DATE AND TIME: Saturday, August 22, 7.20pm AEST
WEATHER FORECAST: Shower or two, 18 degrees
Check out the Cats’ selected side
Last time: Geelong 20.13 (133) def St Kilda 5.7 (37) – R13, 2014, Simonds Stadium
READ: 5 Great Games: Cats v Saints
FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
1. NATHAN VARDY
There was excitement aplenty among the Geelong supporters when the team for the St Kilda game was announced and Nathan Vardy was named in the ruck. It will be Vards' first AFL game since the 2013 preliminary final loss to Hawthorn. The big man has overcome some serious adversity. Here's hoping he passes his first test with flying colours.
.@GeelongCats So excited to see Nathan Vardy selected to make his long awaited return from a knee reco #massiveboost #goodluck #nicesurprise
— Sean Sowerby (@SeanSowerby7) August 20, 2015
Fantastic to see @nvardy30 back in for the @GeelongCats line up this week and the two Murdoch boys lining up on each other. #AFLCatsSaints
— Arj's Eye (@ArjGiese) August 20, 2015
Welcome back Nathan: play well and enjoy it! @GeelongCats @nvardy30 https://t.co/t57HGhZAyZ
— Robert Doyle (@LordMayorMelb) August 20, 2015
@nvardy30 welcome back! @DanielMenzel10 on ice this week, preparing for his 6 goal return against collingwood! Well done Lads! @GeelongCats
— Daniel Myers (@TheMy3rs) August 20, 2015
2. AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE FOR THE RUCKMEN
The Saints have created history by naming big man Jason Holmes for his first AFL game. Holmes, a former college basketballer, will become the first born-and-raised American to reach the highest level of our game.
@stkildafc @J_holmes45 great story and we’re stoked to be a part of history!
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) August 19, 2015
3. WILL ANYONE WIN THE CLEARANCES?
The Cats have been okay around the stoppages in recent weeks, but they rank poorly across the season as a whole. However, St Kilda has been equally poor at winning clearances. The two teams are ranked equal-17th in this regard, averaging 35.2 clearances per game.
4. WILL THE CATS PRODUCE ANOTHER DEMOLITION?
Geelong has dominated St Kilda in recent times, defeating the Saints by 96 points last season and 101 points the year before. But Alan Richardson's men have improved markedly this season, so it will be tough for the Cats to produce another result like the last two. Maybe the rivalry between the clubs will be rekindled during the coming years, although it would be hard to top the rivalry that peaked in 2009 and 2010 when the clubs produced three classic contests. St Kilda won two of them but Geelong won the one that mattered most: the 2009 Grand Final.
5. A QUIRKY STAT
The greatest winning margin in a match where scores were level at quarter-time is 101 points. In round 18, 2013, Geelong and St Kilda were tied on 4.1 (25) at the first change. From there, the Cats scored 17.10 (112) to the Saints' 1.5 (11) and won 21.11 (137) to 5.6 (36).
That fact was courtesy of Rogers Results
