This will define

make the most of their latest opportunity to win a flag.

Of those eight matches, the Cats started favourites in six. Three times they started poorly — against Fremantle in the 2012 elimination final at the MCG, against Port Adelaide in the 2013 semi final (which they came back and won) and last year against Sydney.

Looming in the shadows this year again is Sydney, a side that clearly has Geelong’s measure.

If the Cats beat Richmond tonight at the MCG, they bypass the Swans, get a week off and the draw opens right up. Lose, and it’s a likely date with the ruthless Swans in a knockout semi-final. Talk about sliding doors.

“There’s probably a few expectations around that,” Cook said of the need for the club to have a strong finals series after recent years of falling short.

“There’s that common talk around that we haven’t performed well in the finals in recent times and my response to that is people simply underestimate how difficult it is to even make a final.

“You ask Richmond, ask Melbourne — this year they played pretty damn well. I think they just take for granted at times Geelong’s entry into the eight is just fait accompli. “It’s tough work, it’s bloody tough.” eelong’s success this year should not be taken for granted. Last season didn’t end on a good note for the club and there was some collateral damage that needed to be cleaned up.

There was bitterness at the brutal way Sydney exposed Geelong in the preliminary final — it tainted the whole season — and there was inescapable awkwardness in the way much-loved Jimmy Bartel was eventually forced into retirement.

Then, when Josh Caddy was traded to Richmond, there was nearly a mutiny from Cats fans over the second-round pick that came back the other way.

Scott, himself, missed most of the pre-season before Christmas on compassionate leave after a family tragedy. Training was disjoined and sessions were spread between different locations with Simonds offlimits for the summer sports. The club’s new changerooms were under renovation.

“We take our hat off internally to all of the footy people who have got us to the finals again,” Cook said.

“In particular the coach, who has done an exceptionally good job this year, and we’re looking forward to hopefully a good finals series.”

The way the Cats have been able to reinvent themselves on the run this year is a reflection on the club’s nimble coaching group.

The Cats looked miles from premiership contention after Round 8 when Essendon embarrassed them at the MCG.

Yet three weeks later, having recalibrated their defensive system, they had knocked off the reigning premier Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Adelaide in successive weeks.

Given no chance against GWS in Round 15 with three debutants and one of the tallest sides ever put on the park, the Cats somehow ran the Giants to a draw against all odds.

Letting Rory Sloane run by himself in Round 18 was a tactical howler, but it’s an error better made then and not in the coming weeks.

The “Harry Taylor forward” experiment could have been ditched very early after it misfired in the opening half of the year, but Scott persisted and in Round 21 it proved the difference as Taylor completely outpointed Alex Rance.

Where Scott may have shown too much faith in underperforming players in past years, this year he bit the bullet with Steven Motlop. Motlop returned from being managed a vastly improved player.

And the Cats have proven, especially in recent weeks, they can find a way to win without one of Joel Selwood or Patrick Dangerfield.

Cook has been one of the staunchest public backers of Scott, declaring in March he was “astounded” by suggestions the coach didn’t deserve the contract extension that ties him to the club until the end of 2019.

The persistent rumblings were that Scott’s communication with some of his players could be better. It appears that has improved.

“I think he’s worked hard on developing more meaningful relationships at all levels,” Cook said.

“That’s one of the difficulties of a coach, because in modern management you only have five or six direct reports, where for the senior coach, every player wants to report directly to the senior coach and so do all the assistant coaches, so you could have up to 60 people.

“One thing that our coach has done really well is that he has a meaningful relationship with all of the 60. I think he’s done that really well.

“I think as a leader and as a manager you get better with time and experience, especially if you’ve got good people around you.

“Chris is a really good listener and can work through issues quite well and he’s very mindful of people and issues around them, so I think he’s done an outstanding job.

“I think from what I’ve seen, the players have been very coachable this year. They have followed the game plan really well and there seems to be a great deal of teamwork and collaboration, both on match day and at training.

“We’ve had our share of injuries as well, so it’s not as if it’s been unhindered. There’s been a lot of challenges and a lot of obstacles there, so I think it’s been, so far, an outstanding year.” eelong will break even financially this year, something of a financial speed hump after initially budgeting for a $500,000 profit.

Only seven home matches at