Cats face a test of nerves
Slip up could be costly
THERE is no mistaking the importance of tonight’s clash at Etihad Stadium between Geelong and the Western Bulldogs.
These are the types of matches genuine top four teams should go into with confidence and leave fulfilled, and the Cats simply must win if they are any chance of finishing inside the top four this year.
Of course, there are some big games to come for Geelong before the season ends — away trips to Sydney and Adelaide, and a return bout at the MCG against Richmond chief among them — but it cannot afford to let this one slip.
The fact the bottom five teams have won 11 games between them in 2018 means it is likely going to take 14 wins to finish inside the eight.
When you consider that at the same time last season the bottom five sides had won 26 games it becomes clear as to why there is such a squeeze between fourth and 10th on the ladder.
It puts the price on victories at record highs.
The Bulldogs have plenty of fight when they want to produce it and showed last Saturday night they can go toe-to-toe with quality teams when they did everything but leave with the four points against North Melbourne.
But just matching it is not enough and it is why their victories in 2018 have come EMG: against Essendon, Carlton, Gold Coast and Brisbane Lions.
The Cats do not want to be part of that group.
Geelong’s recent history against the Bulldogs — it has won 11 straight, stretching back to 2009 — suggests it matches up well and should give Chris Scott’s men plenty of belief.
When they last played two weeks ago against Richmond the Cats looked like a top four team, despite going down by 18 points.
They will have left that contest knowing they are close and will be buoyed by the inclusions of Harry Taylor and first-gamer Quinton Narkle, who adds some spark to a forwardline that needs an injection of pace and ferocity to take the next step in its premiership campaign.
Having gone away in their break, the players returned saying they trained harder than in recent years when they have had a week off.
That should help account for Geelong’s poor record coming back from a bye, but the key tonight is starting well.
If they can withstand the early heat the Bulldogs are certain to bring, then the Cats should have no trouble putting their foot down and leaving with a win.