Saturday will be a chance for Geelong to bounce back, after being handed their first loss of the season by Footscray a fortnight ago.
Even with the loss, the Cats remain on top of the ladder and will look to hold that position in Round 6.
Back at GMHBA Stadium, Geelong will take on North Melbourne who are no pushovers, sitting with two wins and two losses and arriving with fresh legs after a bye last week.
It has been a good start for the Cats winning three out of their four games, and winning them reasonably comfortably. After having two bye weekends in the last three weeks, Geelong will need to be ready to go from the start as North Melbourne have kicked the first goal of the match in four out of their five games.
The game will commence at 12.30pm AEST with Gate 13 open from 12.00pm. This week’s game is a curtain raiser for the AFL, so any ticket-holders to the later game will gain entry to the VFL match also.
2026 VFL Round 6
Geelong Cats v North Melbourne
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
12.30pm AEST, Saturday May 2
In: Oli Wiltshire, Kye Annand, Rory Gunsser, Charley Green
Out: Jacob Molier, Kobe George (injured), Darcy Edmends, Will Sheahan
|
Back |
M. Herbert (62) | K. Annand (59) | N. Driscoll (27) |
|
Half Back |
C. Burke (41) | D. Capiron (50) | H. Holmes (22) |
|
Centre |
J. Costello (51) | L. Hofmann (23) | J. Clark (13) |
|
Half Forward |
W. White (52) | J. Ballantyne (57) | O. Wiltshire (21) |
|
Full Forward |
J. Pike (37) | M. Knevitt (10) | J. Mellor (25) |
| Ruck | R. Stanley (1) | G. Stevens (15) | J. Bews (24) |
| Interchange | N. Kreuger (69) | M. Williams (54) | R. Gunsser (49) |
| C. Green (84) | P. Kelly (74) | ||
| 23rd player | C. Green (84) | ||
| Emergencies | D. Edmends (53) | W. Sheahan (72) | H. Wright (56) |
| Z. Stevens (78) | T. Lewis (66) | J. Hose (65) | |
| J. Henderson (47) | T. Bond (73) |
Last Time We Met
It was a tight affair last time out, with the VFL Cats hanging on to record a thrilling two point victory.
The game produced some unreal moments in wet conditions, leading to a goal after the siren which gave the Cats the win.
George Stevens was at his usual best, making his presence felt all over the ground with 30 disposals and 12 clearances. Jay Polkinghorne had himself a game in front of the sticks, kicking three goals to help the Cats over the line.
Players To Watch
Marcus Herbert
If there is one guy willing to do the tough stuff and that can have an impact with every disposal, Herbert is that player for Geelong.
The vice-captain is averaging 30.5 disposals at 70.3% efficiency over the Cats' last two games, while also adding 4.5 tackles per game.
He has been setting the standard around every contest for a long period of time, so watch for Herbert to have a strong impact on Saturday.
Jesse Mellor & Jamison Ballantyne
You will more than likely see this dynamic duo hitting the scoreboard on Saturday, with both Mellor and Ballantyne in sizzling form to start the year.
Mellor is averaging two goals and 11 disposals per game in his first season on Geelong's AFL list, while Ballantyne has kicked six goals over his last two outings to be a prominent figure up forward.
Both are shaping up to be key threats once again this weekend against the Kangaroos.
Where To Watch
Watch every VFL game live on AFL.com.au and AFL Live Official App.
