Geelong returns to GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon for its second-last home game of the home and away season, hosting Essendon in a blockbuster Retro Round clash.

With just three rounds remaining, every match carries extra significance as the Cats continue their push towards September, while the Bombers arrive looking to finish their season strongly.

Saturday’s contest renews one of the AFL’s most historic rivalries, with two foundation clubs once again meeting in front of the Geelong faithful. The Retro Round setting provides the perfect backdrop, celebrating the rich history shared between the two clubs. 

The Cats will be looking to build on their recent momentum on home soil, where they have once again made GMHBA Stadium one of the toughest venues for opposition teams to conquer.

Key Details

Geelong Cats v Essendon
Saturday 8 August, 4:35pm AEST
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong

Team Selection

Last Time We Met

The last meeting between Geelong and Essendon came in Round 22, 2025, with the Cats producing a dominant performance at GMHBA Stadium to record a convincing 44-point victory, 15.19 (109) to 10.5 (65).

Geelong laid the foundation early, controlling territory and creating repeat forward entries to build a commanding first-half lead. The Cats’ pressure around the contest forced Essendon into turnovers, while their ball movement allowed them to generate quality scoring opportunities throughout the afternoon.

Jeremy Cameron proved the focal point inside forward 50, kicking four goals as the Cats’ tall forwards capitalised on the supply from midfield. Geelong’s defence also stood tall, limiting Essendon’s scoring opportunities and ensuring the Bombers were never able to mount a serious comeback.

The victory strengthened Geelong’s position in the race for a top-two finish and extended the club’s impressive record over Essendon at GMHBA Stadium.

Lee Kum Kee – Pivotal Match Up

Jack Henry v Peter Wright

Essendon have a dangerous two-pronged attack inside forward 50, but Peter Wright is the man in hot form and it will create a fascinating match-up this weekend, a task which will most likely fall to star defender Jack Henry. 

After returning to Geelong's defensive unit, Henry has been rock solid picking off 18 intercept possessions over the past few weeks, helping the Cats to record three consecutive victories. 

Wright has been solid for the Bombers in 2026 but took his game to new heights last week, slamming through six goals against Adelaide and kicking more than half his team's total score. 

Essendon will be relying on Wright once again this week, but Henry will be looking to put a stop to that on Saturday afternoon in what will be an important battle for both teams. 

Tickets

There's no better stage for Retro Round than a Saturday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium. Cats fans are encouraged to fill the stands, celebrate the club's rich history and get behind Geelong in a crucial clash with Essendon.

Secure your seat for Saturday's Retro Round clash by following the link here.

Where to Watch

Geelong's Round 22 clash with Essendon will be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo, with coverage starting from 4.30pm AEST ahead of the opening bounce at 4.35pm. 

Cats fans can also tune in via K rock from 3.00pm, listen via FM 95.5 across Geelong & the Surf Coast, delay-free via the K rock app, or the AFL app.

Geelong has done enough to notch their fourth consecutive victory in tricky conditions on Saturday afternoon, defeating Essendon by 67 points in the club's 500th win at Kardinia Park in V/AFL history. 

The damage was done early for the Cats as they piled on 10 unanswered goals to open the contest, they did not have it all their own way however as the Bombers lifted in the second half and started to chip away at the margin, but the home side did enough to further their case for a top-six finish. 

In the midst of the big run early in the contest, it was Ollie Dempsey and Ollie Henry who proved to be the difference as the dynamic duo both booted four goals, Dempsey equalling his career-high and Henry now moving into second place on Geelong's goal-kicking leaderboard in 2026. 

It was the usual suspects through the middle of the ground that adapted to the wet conditions, with Bailey Smith finding the footy at will throughout the night, while Oisin Mullin and Mark Blicavs provided plenty of grit around stoppages. 

Across half back, Tom Stewart was as dominant as ever and helped to thwart a number of attacks, Lawson Humphries provided a typically calm and composed presence, while Jhye Clark also continued his strong form with another impressive outing. 

The rain tumbled early in Geelong and both sides eased their way into the contest in the opening stages of the first term, but as he does so often, it was Ollie Dempsey who broke the early deadlock with his 25th goal of the season. 

It would be the star winger again who would chip in with his second major to bookend the opening quarter, capping off a run of four unanswered goals for the Cats as they opened up a 25-point lead at quarter time. 

In tricky conditions, Jhye Clark impressed early with an equal game-high nine disposals in the first stanza, Bailey Smith was finding the footy with ease as per usual, while Shannon Neale and Gryan Miers both recorded three score involvements to help create opportunities for forwards around them. 

It was a pair of Ollies that were proving to be unstoppable, with Dempsey and Ollie Henry combining to kick seven of Geelong's first eight goals as they continued their hot start well into the second quarter. 

The Cats piled on 10 unanswered goals and remarkably, Essendon's first goal of the opening half came with under two minutes remaining in the second term, as Chris Scott's side extended their advantage to 53 points by the main break. 

There were big winners everywhere for Geelong in the first half, led by Dempsey who equalled his career-high with four goals, while Ollie Henry contributed with three majors to continue his brilliant form. 

Smith topped the stat sheet with 18 disposals, six more than the next best player on the ground, while Lawson Humphries was also impactful with three score involvements and three intercept possessions. 

The conditions dried up after half time and surprisingly, so did the scoring for Geelong in what proved to be a poor third quarter of football, with Essendon gradually eating away at the margin with a run of six goals to just the one for the Cats either side of the main break. 

Geelong's lead that once stood at more than 10 goals was briefly almost halved, but they would steady the ship late in the term thanks to some crafty play from Shaun Mannagh, helping to reestablish a 46-point buffer at three quarter time. 

The Bombers booted the opening goal of the final term, but as the heavens opened and the rain started to teem down once again, Geelong wrestled back the ascendancy and did what they needed to close out the game. 

Shannon Neale added two majors, Jhye Clark added another to cap off his night and Tanner Bruhn kicked his first goal of the season, as the Cats did enough to finish off a 67-point win at GMHBA Stadium. 

Geelong will now turn their attention to the penultimate game of the 2026 home-and-away season, with an exciting AFL and AFLW double-header awaiting at Marvel Stadium against North Melbourne next Saturday. 

2026 AFL Season - Round 22

GEELONG      4.5   10.9   13.11    17.15   (117)  
ESSENDON    0.4    2.4     6.7       7.8    (50) 

GOALS
Geelong: O.Henry, Dempsey 4, Neale 3, Martin 2, Polkinghorne, Mannagh, Clark, Bruhn 1
Essendon: Perkins, Farrow 2, Roberts, El Achkar, Caddy 1

BEST
Geelong: Smith, Dempsey, O.Henry, Humphries, Clark
Essendon: Merrett, Visentini, Sharp, McGrath, Caddy

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Essendon: Nil

Crowd: 33,379 at the GMHBA Stadium