Testing run will have Cats ready for finals
IT would be inaccurate to suggest now is when the real stuff starts.
There is still a little bit of waiting yet until the end of the home-and-away season, and a lot can change between now and then.
But while it is correct only finals matches can truly create a finals atmosphere, Geelong’s next month is as good a preparation for September as it could desire.
The past month has seen the Cats fall to the ladder leader in Adelaide and overcome the bottom two teams on the table, as well as a Hawthorn outfit that challenged for much of the match without Patrick Dangerfield roaming the midfield.
They are now confronted with the task of playing an inform Sydney (sixth), Richmond (fourth) and GWS (third) at home and an MCG clash against Collingwood, which has troubled them in their last three outings.
It creates an opportunity to prepare players such as Brandan Parfitt, Wylie Buzza and James Parsons — and even Sam Simpson and Zach Guthrie should they return — to play in high-pressure games of AFL footy.
It also allows the more seasoned players such as Tom Hawkins, outstanding against Carlton, a four-week period to test themselves against the best players and gain a mental advantage over teams they are likely to face in finals.
Hawkins said after the 65- point win he and his teammates were genuinely excited about the next four weeks, with the battle against the Swans on Friday night firmly in his focus after Sydney knocked the Cats off twice last year.
“I think we’re playing good footy and I think we remain confident in what we do,” he said.
“All top sides and good sides want to play the best, and that has been our philosophy for the whole time I’ve been at the footy club.
“Joel and myself and Harry have learnt that off Matty Scarlett and Corey Enright, so we’re really eager to test ourselves against Sydney.”
Hawkins, Zac Smith, Scott Selwood, Jordan Murdoch and Sam Menegola were all significant contributors in Geelong’s win, and it was telling that on a night when Dangerfield and Joel Selwood were not racking up 30-plus possession games that the Cats still controlled the match, albeit against a young side that appeared tired for much of the game.
Their defensive structures held up again, and opposition teams know when they play Geelong they will have to take the game on to have enough shots on goal to give themselves a chance of victory.
Chris Scott will be guided by his club’s medical staff in the coming days and weeks as to how to best handle Nakia Cockatoo and his hamstring problems, but while his loss will come as a major blow, the Cats should welcome back Dan Menzel for the Sydney game and Parfitt came through unscathed.
The Geelong coach understands better than anyone the importance of his team’s results in the final month of the season, particularly given the evenness of this year’s competition.
“The ladder positions are tenuous given we play, in particular, Richmond, GWS and Sydney, and obviously the results of those games will have a big bearing on ladder impact,” Scott said.
“But anyone on their day can beat anyone, and that is not something that has rolled off the tongues of coaches in the last couple of years.
“I think we’re in a different era.”
Maybe the real stuff will start in September, but at least Geelong will know where it stands before it gets underway.