Tom Atkins says the Cats are ready for the challenge awaiting them on Sunday, as they head North to face the ladder leading Sydney Swans at the SCG.  

Geelong will get an exciting opportunity to face the in form Swans this weekend, who currently sit clear on top of the ladder after winning 10 of their opening 11 games.  

The Cats will head into the clash with momentum after a strong comeback against Richmond last week, which saw them boot 12 of the last 15 goals to record an important 30 point win.  

Atkins said that the Cats are looking forward to Sunday’s clash, particularly the opportunity to test themselves against one of the best midfields in the competition.  

"We started to build some momentum in the second half against Richmond, we clicked along the line and we are looking forward to the challenge this week," Atkins said.  

"We'll be up for the fight, we know they are a good contested midfield and they have a really deep midfield.  

They have some players that are great to watch, there have always been comparisons between us and them in terms of the club culture and being a great place to play at.  

We have had some great battles over the years, and we are looking forward to another one on Sunday." 

Historically the SCG has proven to be a successful road trip with the Cats holding a 57% win rate at the ground, which is the third highest percentage of any visiting team in AFL history.  

Geelong have also enjoyed recent success against Sydney across the past five seasons, only losing two of their previous nine encounters with the Swans in that time span.  

Tom Atkins will look to continue his strong form on the back of a brilliant performance against Richmond, with the tough on-baller amassing 27 disposals and 10 clearances, while also laying 11 tackles.  

The 28-year-old said that the Cats will be focusing on getting the game on their terms early, attempting to keep Sydney quiet by applying plenty of pressure right across the ground.

“We have to try and get the game played on our terms from the start, which is something we struggled with a little bit this month,” Atkins said.  

“The sooner we can get the game played our way, the better it sets us up for the rest of the day.

We don't go into any weeks thinking it's going to be easier or harder, it is an even competition and we just need to be ready each and every week."    
 
The Cats will battle the Swans at the SCG this Sunday, with the first bounce at 3.20pm.