It is fitting that Geelong will face North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos in the Elimination Final, given their last clash was the turning point of the Cats’ season.

In boggy conditions on a dour evening in Launceston, the Cats went goalless to half-time, and managed just two goals in the second half as they went down to the Kangaroos by 12 points.

Forwards coach Aaron Black said it was in the aftermath of this match that the Cats got their season back on track.

“It was when we played North, that was the turning point. We went down to Tassie and I don’t think we got a goal in the first half,” Black said.

“We just went away a little bit from how we were training pre-season and how we were setting up, so just tweaked with that a bit.”

The effect was immediate.

The Cats came out in front of a home crowd the next week against St Kilda and kicked the highest score in the club’s AFLW history at that point – 71 points – and haven’t looked back since.

Since Round 5, the Cats have been the second-highest scoring team in the AFLW, behind only Melbourne, averaging 52.5 points per game.

Pleasingly for the Cats, their goals have come from 16 different players across the course of the season, led by Chloe Scheer (13 goals) and Shelley Scott (nine).

While structurally Scott’s move to the forward line has been important for the Cats, their newfound scoring prowess is in large part due to how well the team as a whole has been moving the ball forward.

“Personnel-wise, having Scotty come down has been unbelievable,” Black said.

“She was originally going to play forward, and then with Maddy McMahon not playing this season, we needed another back cover, so we loaned her to the back line.

“So we thought (after Round 4), let’s pull the trigger on that as a coaching group and get her forward again, and it’s definitely helped, because having her down there, she’s not only a great player, but also her leadership (is a big asset).

“She’s a real goal threat too, marking threat, pressure – she does it all. So it’s freed up a lot of our players, especially Scheery, as well.

“I think a combination of that and the way we’re attacking as a whole now, from the backline and the mids as well. We’re using the ball very well.

“Hopefully that can keep going. And we’re not hesitating. I think in the past we’ve been a bit gun-shy to go for a kick, but it seems like the players are confident in going for it.”

Scheer has well and truly hit her straps this season, proving near impossible to beat in contested marking situations, and finding the goals regularly, including bagging a personal and club record of four goals last week.

Kate Darby continues to present as a strong marking option too, while the forward group as a whole is functioning beautifully together.

“Scheer has had a strong back half of the year, and we always knew it was there,” Black said.

“I think adding players like Jackie Parry – she’s very versatile, she rarely gets beaten in a one-on-one, she’ll either mark it or definitely bring it to ground herself.

“Players like Laura Gardiner, she’s come down to the forward line this year and really made that high forward role her own. Her work rate up and down the ground, and just showing up regularly at fall of ball positions is really good, too.

“I think we’ve just got a really good balance now, and can hopefully keep improving.”

Black said playing two seasons in one year had aided the developing Cats list as it built cohesion across the team, setting it up for a strong Season 7.

The Cats capped off the home and away season with an incredible return of 15.12 (102) against Sydney – Geelong’s biggest AFLW score, and the second-highest score in AFLW history.

“I think you always hope for that (big score), but when it happened, it was pleasing,” Black said.

“It was good just to see the players really enjoy it and get a bit of reward for effort. Over the past couple of years, scoring has been a bit of a struggle for us, but this year, and especially the back half of the year, it’s been going well.

“It was good and pleasing to see them, it looked like they were having fun out there, but it came off the back of working hard. We weren’t just sitting out the back, hoping, it was a lot of hard running, defensive efforts – you do the work early, and you get rewarded for it at the end.”

Geelong will be chasing its first ever win over fellow 2019 expansion side North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos in Saturday’s must-win final, but hit the game in the best form they have ever been in.

“It will be a good challenge – their midfield is really strong, as is ours. I think that will be a big part of it, the midfield battle, as most games are won or lost through there a lot of the time,” Black said.

“Our mids have been really, really strong this year as a core group, so I think they’re definitely up for the challenge.

“Hopefully when it comes down the forward end, we can keep converting like we have been for the second half of the year.

“That’s been pleasing, when it comes in there, we’ve been either locking it in or getting a shot on goal.

“It’s going to be a huge challenge. It’s an elimination final, so do or die, but everyone’s been up and about this week. Hopefully we get a good crowd here.”

First bounce is 7.10pm AEDT. Be there to cheer the Cats on in their return to AFLW finals: tickets are available through Ticketmaster.