EXCLUSIVE GREGSON COLUMN
TRANSFERRING Geelong’s home form to the wide expanses of the MCG comes down to work rate, according to assistant coach Matthew Scarlett.
The Cats have been almost unbeatable at a narrow GMHBA Stadium over the years, but have about a 50 per cent winning strike rate at the home of footy since 2013.
They have continued that trend this year, defeating Melbourne and losing to Hawthorn in tight games.
Scarlett said there was no denying Geelong’s inconsistency at the MCG, even though the squad has changed over that period.
He hopes the Cats can find that consistency against Collingwood tomorrow.
The Magpies are a team the Cats have struggled against in recent years, winning only three of their past nine clashes.
“We have been a little bit inconsistent. We have proven we can play well there, we just haven’t done it often enough,” Scarlett said.
“We are a different team now than we were last year and the year before, we’ve got some really fast, exciting young players in the team now.
“You can’t argue with the fact we have played some poor footy at the MCG.
“We have got to make sure we play well on the weekend and don’t look too far (backwards).”
Scarlett said only hard running on the ground would help the Cats find their consistency at the MCG.
“It’s pretty simple: you just have to work harder to be honest,” he said.
“There’s wide spaces to kick the ball and it’s harder to stop the opposition taking marks and running the ball through the middle of the ground.
“I think it’s a bit of a mindset thing.
“Defensively you have to make early decisions and work a little bit harder than you do at GMHBA Stadium.
“And having speed in the team helps. We have some really quick, dynamic players in the team now, which will suit the MCG.”