How can Cats stop this?

competition for inside-50s so the Cats must keep the ball in their forward half.

Chris Scott also has an insatiable statistic to his name — the Cats have won 81 times and drawn once from 82 matches where they’ve kept the opposition to 79 points or less.

Despite averaging 55.6 inside-50s a game, the Pies average just 10.1 marks inside50. Their prolific scoring has come from winning the ground ball, and again, it’s guys like Thomas and Stephenson who must be restricted. Putting an extra number back, as Scott has done a number of times this season, nullifies the high ball, but Collingwood has been much smarter with its delivery this season, ranked fifth in the comp for disposal efficiency (73.8 per cent), and it relies on winning ground balls inside 50.

One on one, the Pies’ defence remains vulnerable, having conceded 87 points a game this season.

If the Cats can drag third gamer Flynn Appleby to the goal square, they’ll score. Deny Jeremy Howe a run and jump at the football — he’s been brilliant this season. Esava Ratugolea can expose Lynden Dunn’s lack of height. And stop the likes of Sam Murray and Jack Crisp from running the ball out of defence.

The Pies were second in the FROM: comp for defensive-50 rebounds to forward-50 entries with the same chain of possession prior to last weekend.

It’s not a strength of Geelong’s — it prefers the narrower ground of Kardinia Park, but Brisbane was able to expose Collingwood’s running power and defensive structure by using the width of the Gabba last Sunday.

Maybe it was three games in 12 days that left Collingwood somewhat scrambling in defence, but if guys like Tom Stewart, Zach Tuohy and Tim Kelly can run and switch the football, they’ll go a short way to opening up scoring opportunities.

Geelong 10.10 (70) d Collingwood 9.5 (59) Collingwood 15.17 (107) d Geelong 11.12 (78) Collingwood 16.8 (104) d Geelong 11.14 (80) Collingwood 17.8 (110) d Geelong 9.8 (62)