Geelong finished Round 15 in second place on the League Ladder and will be looking to consolidate that spot this weekend against the Kangaroos, with both the reigning premiers Melbourne and the much improved Carlton on the horizon.
The Cats will be missing star defender Tom Stewart to suspension and may look to replace him with a combination of Zach Guthrie and Jack Henry in the air, and will potentially look Mitch Duncan and Zach Tuohy to replicate Stewart’s drive off of half back.
In good news for Cats fans Saturday night will mark the first five games at GMHBA Stadium on the run home.
Here’s a couple of things to look out for on Saturday night when the ball is bounced at 7.25pm.
Danger is Back
A fully fit and firing Patrick Dangerfield is bad news for the rest of the competition, that goes without saying. But for now, he’s North Melbourne’s problem. While he’s been named at full forward, we’ll no doubt see him all over the pitch.
Historically, he averages 24.5 disposals per game against the Kangaroos and just under a goal, but arguably, his best ever game as a Cat – a 48 disposal, two goal, 11 inside 50, 13 clearance game back in 2016 also came against North, a side he’s never lost a game against since donning the hoops.
Form Guide
The last time North Melbourne beat Geelong was in Round 15, 2015, despite a 41 disposal performance from Jimmy Bartel at Marvel Stadium. It was the third of a three game winning streak across 2014-15, one that also included a 16 point win in Round 4, 2015 at Kardinia Park.
Since then, Geelong have won the last nine clashes between the two sides, including the game in which the all-time record for a Cats v Roos game in Geelong was established when a crowd of 31265 witnessed a 37 point Cats win in 2018. The largest ever crowd between the two sides was for the 1994 Preliminary Final when 80,121 people were on hand to see Gary Ablett Snr reel in a one handed mark with two seconds on the clock to get the Cats into the Grand Final.
Mitch Duncan 250
If you’re on the fence about coming to the footy this Saturday night, celebrating Mitch Duncan’s milestone should be enough to get you over the line.
A premiership player at 20 and now the 19th player to play 250 games in the hoops, Duncan has been a model of consistency and class over more than a decade, and is also capable of the kind of ‘were you there when’ highlights like the 70 metre torpedo after the half time siren against the Eagles last year. On top of that, the Duncan to Hawkins plays could be sculpted in bronze.
The good news is, there’s no signs of slowing up. Go well, Mitch. Here’s to 100 more.
