Footy is finally back with the Cats set to host arch-rivals Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night at 7.50pm.

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Geelong will be chasing their first win of the 2020 season after going down to the Giants in the opening round.

Last time we met: Round 18, 2019 – Cats 8.13 (61) defeated by Hawks 12.13 (85).

For and Against: Geelong has played Hawthorn on 166 occasions, winning 90, drawing one and losing 75.

Danger 250

It’s hard not to check twice to see if Patrick Dangerfield is already up to 250 games.

Dangerfield plays the game with such a ballistic enthusiasm that he could be very well in one of his first few seasons. But when you list his achievements across those games it’s hard not to see why he is held in such high esteem.

When he moved from the Crows to the Cats, his resume already included a very impressive 154 games, 163 goals, a best and fairest and three All Australians. But since then Dangerfield has gone to extraordinary heights adding a further 95 games, 121 goals, a Brownlow Medal, three more best and fairest awards and another four All Australians.

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Dangerfield’s arrival allowed the footy world to coin the term Dangerwood, provided side splitting comedy like the Between Two Cats series and has meant that having a 35 on the back of your jumper is just as awesome now as it was when Chappy was running around.

Look for the Cats to make sure their vice-captain’s 250th AFL game is one to remember.

Hawks return to the Cattery

It’s been 14 long years since the Hawks ventured down the highway for a game for premiership points. Surprisingly though, the Hawks have played the seventh most games at GMHBA Stadium or Kardinia Park as the opposition side.

Their overall record is 16 wins, a draw and 31 losses in that time for an overall winning percentage of 34.38%. But in the AFL era, the Hawks are one of the few sides to have a winning record over the Cats at their home ground with six wins from their nine attempts.

The last one of these was in 2006 when the Hawks blew the Cats away in the final quarter to run out 52-point winners. Since that time however, the Cats have gone on to win 80% of their games at the ground.

Over the past 13 years the Cats have found additional ways to take advantage of the slimmer dimensions of GMHBA Stadium which may be the biggest hurdle for the Hawks to overcome in their quest to head back to Waverley with the points.

Quicker game to suit Cats

Tom Hawkins believes a shorter game format will suit the Cats style of play with quarters set to remain at 16-minutes for the remainder of 2020.

Hawkins was joined by Esava Ratugolea for a GMHBA member exclusive Fan Portal experience hosted by former Geelong captain Cameron Ling.

“I really see the game suiting us a team,” Hawkins said speaking to 20 lucky members.

“We have got some really powerful players and Sav (Ratugolea) is one of those where they can reach some real top end speed, but be really powerful for short bursts, so I do see the shorter game suiting us as a side and hopefully it plays out that way.”

Broadcast 

Watch: Channel Seven, Kayo and AFL app.
Listen: Krock Football

GEELONG has celebrated superstar midfielder Patrick Dangerfield's 250th AFL game with a massive 61-point win over Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.

Leading by six points at the main break, the Cats kicked 10 of the next 11 goals to celebrate Patrick Dangerfield's 250th AFL match with a 17.6 (108) to 7.5 (47) demolition.

CATS CRUSH HAWKS Full match coverage and stats

In their first game in Geelong since 2006, the Hawks lacked intensity and were blown away in the contested ball count by a whopping 31 possessions in the shortened match.

After conceding 17 marks in their round one loss to GWS, the Cats allowed the Hawks just four for the entire match as Tom Stewart and Mark Blicavs ran rampant on their direct opponents.

Maligned ruckman Rhys Stanley played a direct hand in the first three goals of the game kicked in six minutes, while captain Joel Selwood amassed 28 disposals in a best-on-ground performance.

While just 10 goals were kicked in the Collingwood-Richmond season restart on Thursday night raising question marks on the lack of scoring, nine goals were kicked in the opening quarter alone a night later.

The Hawks rallied late in the first term but fell away in a concerning follow-up to their round one win over Brisbane after the 82-day break in their season.

Stanley stakes his claim for ruck berth

With his place in Geelong's line-up constantly on edge, Rhys Stanley capped his recall in the same week as the birth of his second child in style. The Cats ruckman was involved directly in the first two goals and kicked his own to make it three in the first six minutes. With Ben McEvoy starting at full-back on Esava Ratugolea, Stanley had the better of Hawk Jon Ceglar and finished with 14 disposals, six clearances, two goals and a game-high nine score involvements.

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Can they play on again?

Isolation appears to have proven a treat for Gary Ablett and Shaun Burgoyne. Listed as two of the three oldest players in the competition (Carlton's Kade Simpson is the other), the veteran pair defied their age in the opening term. Ablett, sublime on the night with 21 disposals, kicked one of two goals from 53m, while Burgoyne pounced on a loose ball on the goal line to kick an important major.

Star Hawks to sweat

The Hawks will be sweating on Match Review findings that centre on two separate incidents involving stars Chad Wingard and Shaun Burgoyne during the third term. Wingard conceded a free kick when his boot made contact with Tom Atkins' face before Cats Harry Taylor and Jed Bews came in to remonstrate. Burgoyne will be more nervous over a dangerous sling tackle against Patrick Dangerfield. The Cats superstar got up to take his free kick but like Wingard, Burgyone's number wasn't taken by the officiating umpire.

GEELONG                    5.2       7.5       13.6     17.6 (108)
HAWTHORN               4.1       6.4       7.5       7.5 (47)

GOALS
Geelong: Miers 3, Ablett 2, Dahlhaus 2, Stanley 2, Atkins 2, Menegola 2, Selwood, Dangerfield, Duncan, Rohan
Hawthorn: Gunston 2, Hanrahan, Burgyone, Breust, Patton, O'Brien

BEST
Geelong: Selwood, Parfitt, Stanley, Ablett, Stewart, Dangerfield
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Gunston, Smith, Frost

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil