The stage is set and Geelong are ready to commence their 2026 AFLW season with a blockbuster clash, as they head to Marvel Stadium to take on the back-to-back premiers, North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon.
It will be the club's first AFLW match under the roof at Marvel in an exciting double-header clash, with the AFLW game to take place at 1.00pm before the two AFL sides square off at 3.45pm.
There are plenty of exciting factors for the Cats heading into their new campaign, with a brand new head coach and plenty of fresh faces set to guide the team in a different direction, looking to return to Finals after a two-year absence.
The opening challenge could not be bigger, facing a Kangaroos team that has not lost a game in the last two years on the way to two premierships, but the Cats were the only team to take points off them in that span with a draw early in the 2024 season.
Take a look through some of the strengths of North Melbourne's game and some things to watch on Saturday, proudly presented by Deakin University.
2025 Results
Geelong: 13th
H&A Record: 5-7
Percentage: 92.8
Kangaroos: Premiers
H&A Record: 12-0
Percentage: 321.5
Finals Record: 3-0
Recent History - Geelong v Kangaroos
| GAME | HOME | AWAY | VENUE |
| Round 1, 2025 | Geelong 3.3 (21) | North Melbourne 8.3 (51) | GMHBA Stadium |
| Round 2, 2024 | North Melbourne 5.6 (36) | Geelong 5.6 (36) | Arden Street Oval |
| Round 3, 2023 | Geelong 3.4 (22) | North Melbourne 4.7 (31) | GMHBA Stadium |
| Elimination Final, 2022 (S7) |
Geelong 1.8 (14) | North Melbourne 2.4 (16) | GMHBA Stadium |
Deakin Performance Stat of the Week: Controlling the Ball
If last year is anything to go by, the number one goal for Geelong this week will be simply to restrict the Kangaroos from gathering large amounts of disposals and to stop them getting the game on their terms.
North Melbourne accumulated massive amounts of the ball across the 2025 season, ranking number one in the competition for total disposals across the year, and remarkably averaging 42.4 more disposals per game than the next best team in the competition.
This did not mean it was a quantity over quality approach however, with the Kangaroos still ranking first in the AFLW for disposal efficiency and first for metres gained, able to spark effective ball movement off the back of their large disposal numbers.
They are also able to exit defence swiftly with the best rebound 50 rate of any team last year (86.8), but then turn that into the most inside 50s of any team in the competition also.
North Melbourne finished with 57 more disposals and 10 more inside 50s in their most recent clash with Geelong, something the Cats will likely need to rectify to achieve a strong result on Saturday afternoon.
North Melbourne's 2025 AFLW Stats
| Statistic | Average Per Game | AFLW Rank |
| Disposals | 314.3 | 1st |
| Disposal Efficiency | 67.6 | 1st |
| Inside 50s | 43.7 | 1st |
| Rebound 50 Rate | 86.8 | 1st |
| Metres Gained | 4163.1 | 1st |
Kangaroos Player to Watch - Ash Riddell
The reigning AFLW best and fairest, a five-time All-Australian and now a two-time premiership player, there are not many players in the competition with a better resume than Ash Riddell.
There were only two players in the league to average more than 28 disposals per game last year, and Riddell remarkably averaged 35.5, finishing the season with 144 more total disposals than the next best player to highlight her extraordinary ball-winning prowess.
The Kangaroos star also finished second in the AFLW for total clearances, first for inside 50s, first for contested possessions and third for score involvements, quite an impressive season en route to taking out the league's top honour.
Riddell has also averaged 29 disposals and five clearances across the most recent two clashes with Geelong, something the Cats will need to find an answer for on Saturday afternoon.
Where Geelong Can Improve - The Stoppage Battle
The Cats ranked around the AFLW average or in the middle of the table for most major statistics last year, but one area that they surprisingly struggled in was around clearances, despite having one of the most dominant midfield units in the game.
Across the 2025 season, the Cats ranked 15th in the AFLW for total clearances with an average of 21.2 per game, while finishing last in the competition for stoppage clearances.
They also ranked 16th for getting the first possession at stoppages, which then translated to Geelong finishing ninth for inside 50 entries and not generating enough opportunities to score.
All of this happened despite Georgie Prespakis finishing as the number one clearance player in the AFLW for the 2025 season, which means the Cats will need to find more avenues and options heading into the new campaign.
