With the first month of the AFL season complete, it is time for the competition to converge on the City of Churches for the fourth edition of the AFL's Gather Round. 

For the second time in Gather Round history, Geelong are set to take on West Coast as they look to bounce back from a last-minute defeat against Hawthorn on Easter Monday. 

The Eagles have shown signs of growth in 2026 with two wins from their first four games, most notably hanging on for a thrilling road victory over Port Adelaide in Round 3. 

Despite their early improvement, West Coast were certainly taken down a peg after being comfortably handled at home by Sydney last week, slumping to a 128 point defeat.  

There will be plenty of interesting factors heading into this clash, so take a look at some of the Eagles' strengths ahead of Geelong's Gather Round match, proudly presented by Deakin University. 

2026 Ladder 

Geelong: 11th (2-2)
West Coast: 12th (2-2)

Recent Games

2025, Round 12 - West Coast 11.7 (73) def. by Geelong 17.14 (116)
2024, Round 24 - Geelong 26.12 (168) def West Coast 11.9 (75)
2023, Round 5 - Geelong 21.10 (136) def West Coast 13.11 (89)

Deakin Performance Stat of the Week 

Winning the Contested Possession Count

West Coast are a young team on the rise but while they lack experience on paper, they certainly make up for it with their effort around stoppages and in contested situations. 

So far in 2026, the Eagles have the highest contested possession rate of any team in the competition, with 40.1% of their total possessions coming around the contest. 

They sit around the AFL average at 126.8 per game, just behind the Cats who average 131.8 per game. 

This is a marked improvement after they ranked dead last in the AFL in 2025 for contested possessions per game, with the likes of Harley Reid and Jack Graham leading the charge. 

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 24: Harley Reid of the Eagles is tackled by gduring the round 24 AFL match between Geelong Cats and West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium, on August 24, 2024, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images via AFL Photos)

A Meeting with a Familiar Face

While most discussion around West Coast typically involves Harley Reid, there is a familiar face that has been quietly building a strong start to the 2026 season. 

Tim Kelly missed West Coast's opening game against Gold Coast but returned in Round 2 with a bang, starting to find that scintillating form that Cats fans will remember fondly. 

Over the past three weeks, Kelly is averaging 22.3 disposals and five clearances per game, while also adding four goal assists to have a particularly strong impact in the Eagles' two wins. 

Despite missing a game, Kelly leads West Coast for total clearances, inside 50s and goal assists, with his game set to suit the tight confines of Norwood Oval on the weekend. 

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 24: Tim Kelly of the Eagles is tackled by Max Holmes of the Cats during the 2024 AFL Round 24 match between the Geelong Cats and the West Coast Eagles at GMHBA Stadium on August 24, 2024 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

Handling the Eagles' Pressure

One area that West Coast have certainly improved on this year is their pressure around the football, looking to make it difficult for opposition teams to move the football cleanly and having a particular emphasis on this around stoppages. 

The Eagles currently rank fourth in the AFL for pressure acts, averaging 273.5 per game which sits just behind Adelaide, Collingwood and Geelong who are the leading teams in that area. 

They also rank sixth in the competition for tackles, averaging 58.3 per game in comparison to 2025 where they ranked 15th in the AFL. 

West Coast also take their pressure to another level in the back half, sitting second in the AFL for defensive pressure acts so far in 2026. 

Norwood Oval is a relatively narrow ground and can invite pressure, something Geelong will need to be able to combat on Sunday afternoon.