Match Preview

The Cats will head to Warrnambool this Sunday for an important clash with Essendon, as they look to cement their place in the top eight heading into the back half of the season.

At the halfway point, Geelong sits in sixth place on the ladder with three wins from five games following their loss to Melbourne last Thursday night.

The Cats sit just one game adrift of the top four with five games to go in the regular season, meaning a win in round six could be crucial for their finals aspirations in 2023.  

Essendon sit equal with the Cats on three wins at the midway point of this season, sitting ninth on the ladder but only separated by percentage.

The Cats have met the Bombers just once in AFLW history, defeating them in round seven last season after Essendon entered the competition in 2022.

Last Time They Met

Geelong faced Essendon in round seven last season, with the Cats powering home in the final quarter to record a 15 point in Warrnambool. 

Chloe Scheer was the hero for the Cats, booting two goals in the final term and three for the day to steer her side to victory while receiving eight votes from the coaches. 

The Cats were challenged by a strong Essendon side, with the scores level at the final break before Geelong pulled away on the back of Chloe Scheer’s two majors in the last term. 

Amy McDonald was a dominant force through the midfield, amassing a team high 26 disposals and laying 12 tackles. 

Nina Morrison and Rebecca Webster both collected 16 disposals and a goal in solid performances, while Mikayla Bowen rounded out the Cats best with 16 possessions of her own. 

Superstar Sisters Square Off in Milestone Match

Occasionally the stars align for magic moments in the footballing world, with that certainly being the case this weekend as sisters Georgie and Maddy Prespakis face off in their milestone games. 

Georgie Prespakis will bring up game number 25 in her young AFLW career, while Maddy will play her 50th game on Sunday. 

But the individual battle will also go a long way to determining the outcome of the game, with the star sisters set to go head to head in the midfield. 

Georgie has enjoyed a strong first half of the season, collecting 23 disposals and nine tackles per game to attract strong interest from opposition taggers in recent weeks. 

The Cats young gun has featured in the coaches votes three times this season, including a perfect 10 in the opening round against the Bulldogs. 

Maddy Prespakis has been equally impressive for the Bombers this year, averaging 27 disposals and six clearances per game while earning coaches votes in all five games. 

The two star on-ballers are set for an exciting battle on Sunday, with the duel crucial to winning the midfield battle and setting up the game for their respective side. 

What the Coach Said

"The Bombers are going to be a real test for us, to focus on our game as much as we can. 

"Essendon are doing really well at three and two, we had a great game against them last year down at Warrnambool. It was a tight game, just coming away with a 15 point win. 

"But it will be a really good test this week to see how we have trained and improved in that space, and we are looking forward to the challenge because they are just as hungry for success as us. 

"It will be interesting to see if we can connect better for a four quarter effort." 

Dan Lowther 

Geelong AFLW Head Coach

Quote of the Week

"It's always good getting on the road together, it's like an away trip down to Warrnambool but you don't have to travel too far." 

"We had a good game down there last year, we are looking forward to playing Essendon again too. 

"They have had a good start to the season with some great players in the line up, and it provides another chance for us to get our consistency piece right across four quarters. 

"The ladder is pretty even across the competition at the moment and it looks reasonably bunched up, but there is still a good chunk of the season to go and a lot to play out. 

"We just want to take it week by week, get our brand of footy going and play consistently which will set us up well for the end of the year."

Nina Morrison

Milestones 

Georgie Prespakis – 25 AFLW Games