Geelong are set to return home to kick off the Round 17 action and the stage is set for a monumental clash, with the Cats preparing to take on Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday night. 

It looms as a pivotal match in the context of the season, with the Cats and Lions both jostling for position in the top four and only eight rounds remaining in the home and away season. 

For the Cats, it shapes as a season-defining clash with only two games left against opponents currently sitting in the top eight, and only one interstate trip in Round 18 against the GWS Giants. 

A win could be crucial but it could also be a confidence booster, after Brisbane visited GMHBA Stadium last year and clinched a 41-point victory, with Thursday night a chance for the Cats to respond. 

With so much at stake and two of the best teams in the modern era set to go head-to-head, take a final look ahead to Thursday's big clash between Geelong and Brisbane, proudly presented by Lee Kum Kee. 

KEY DETAILS 

2026 AFL Season | Round 17
Geelong Cats v Brisbane
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Thursday 2 July, 7.30pm AEST

TEAM SELECTION

LEE KUM KEE - PIVOTAL MATCH-UP

Jeremy Cameron v Darcy Gardiner

Big games call for big players to stand up in the crucial moments, and there is no player more pivotal to Geelong's chances in crunch matches than Jeremy Cameron. 

While there has been plenty of chatter about the superstar forward, Cameron sits second in the race for the Coleman Medal with 39 goals for the year, kicking three goals or more on nine different occasions. 

One of those three-goal hauls came in Round 10 against Brisbane, where he provided solid scoreboard impact at the Gabba to help lead the Cats to a 41-point victory. 

For the majority of the game earlier in the season, Cameron was matched up against Lions defender Darcy Gardiner, who is a more traditional key defender with the ability to lock down some of the game's best forwards. 

With a week's rest under his belt, look for the reigning Coleman Medalist to fire on Thursday night in a matchup that could be instrumental in the result. 

VFL

Geelong's VFL team enjoyed a week off in Round 15 to recharge for the run home, which will commence with a clash against Frankston at Kinetic Stadium on Friday night. 

With an 11-1 record, the Cats remain 10 points clear on top of the ladder, comfortably holding the best points for and points against average of any team in the competition. 

There are six games remaining in the home and away season, with Geelong needing four more wins to officially secure top spot on the ladder, while three more wins will confirm a place in the top four. 

The Cats face Frankston this week who are currently sitting in eighth place, but as it stands that will be Geelong's final game against an opponent in the top 10 on the ladder. 

Geelong and Frankston will square off from 7.35pm AEST on Friday night at Kinetic Stadium. 

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Tickets are available for Geelong's Thursday night blockbuster against Brisbane, follow the link below to secure your seat through Ticketmaster. 

Get access to this game with a Flexi Membership! For just $44 you can get two General Admission tickets. By purchasing a membership you'll also go in the draw to win a Ford Everest!

WHERE TO WATCH 

Geelong's Round 17 clash with Brisbane will be broadcast live and free on Channel 7 from 7.00pm AEST, ahead of the game starting at 7.30pm. 

The match will also be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo from 7.00pm. 

Cats fans can also tune in via K rock from 6.00pm, listen via FM 95.5 across Geelong & the Surf Coast, delay-free via the K rock app, or the AFL app.

Geelong has been defeated in a high-scoring contest at GMHBA Stadium, falling 22 points short against Brisbane on Thursday night. 

A wild first half saw the Cats trail by as much as 43 points late in the first quarter, before storming back to close within a point shortly after the main break but it was not enough, as the Lions continually found answers and made their decisive move near the end of the third term.

The loss leaves Geelong with a 9-7 record after their mid-season bye, now firmly entangled in a logjam in the middle of the ladder with seven games remaining in the home and away season. 

There was no Cat more impactful than the captain, Patrick Dangerfield, who pulled out every trick in the book in an attempt to inspire his side, finishing the night with five goals, 17 disposals and seven score involvements. 

Bailey Smith (31 disposals, nine score involvements) accumulated plenty of the footy, Tom Stewart (25 disposals, nine intercepts) was resolute across half back, while Tanner (seven score involvements, 10 intercepts) Bruhn also had a number of nice moments and competed strongly throughout the contest. 

Rain had fallen for nearly the entire day in Geelong and by some sheer miracle, or perhaps it was divine intervention, the skies cleared in time for the opening bounce. But it proved not to be a good omen as the Lions made a fast start, Charlie Cameron kicking two goals in as many minutes to open proceedings. 

It only continued to unravel from there as the Lions punched through the opening six goals in less than 14 minutes of play, leaving GMHBA Stadium in a stunned silence and Geelong searching for answers. 

The margin expanded beyond 40 points until Patrick Dangerfield intervened with the Cats' first goal right before the quarter time siren, the home side left with a mountain of work to do and staring at a 37-point deficit at the first break. 

Whenever Geelong has looked down and out, more often than not they find another gear and work their way back into the contest, it has been a trademark of the club for a long period of time and it proved to be the case once again on Thursday night. 

Shannon Neale and Dangerfield both struck twice, Jack Martin curled home another on his left foot and by the midway point of the second term, Geelong had a run of five unanswered goals and had significantly closed the gap on the scoreboard. 

But the Cats were not done there, continuing to press right up until half time and finding another two majors, cutting the margin to just seven points at the main break. 

In between the flurry of scores, Neale was the big mover for Geelong with three goals in the second term alone, with Bailey Smith and Ollie Dempsey also rising to the occasion with 10 disposals apiece in the quarter. 

Tanner Bruhn (12 disposals, six score involvements) provided a spark in the opening half, while the skipper started to will his side back into the contest with 10 disposals and two goals at the main break. 

While the first two quarters saw some of the most dramatic momentum shifts, the third quarter proved to be a far tighter contest but it did not limit the scoring ability of either side, with plenty of goals raining down in a remarkably high-scoring game considering the conditions. 

The brilliance of Dangerfield shone through for the Cats as he added another two majors, but Geelong could not solve their defensive conundrum as they conceded eight goals in the third term, the deficit creeping back out to 30 points at the final change. 

With most of the damage done, Geelong could not find a way back into the contest in the fourth quarter and the Lions closed the game out strongly, with the margin sitting at 22 points when the final siren sounded. 

2026 AFL Season - Round 17

GEELONG      1.5   7.11  11.14  14.17  (101)  
BRISBANE     8.0    9.6    17.8    19.9  (123) 

GOALS
Geelong: Dangerfield 5, Neale 3, Martin, Dempsey 2, Wiltshire, Mullin 1
Brisbane: Lohmann 5, Morris, Bailey 3, McKenna, Cameron 2, Rayner, Dunkley, L.Ashcroft, Fort 1

BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Holmes, Smith, Dempsey, Stewart
Brisbane: W.Ashcroft, Neale, Lohmann, Bailey, Draper, Dunkley 

Crowd: 26,757 at GMHBA Stadium