Danger from the get- go

Cats aim for a strong start

GEELONG superstar Patrick Dangerfield says a blistering start in Saturday night’s historic Gabba Grand Final could hold the key to the club’s premiership hopes, saying the lessons of their Round 17 loss to Richmond haven’t been lost on the Cats.

And Dangerfield – who will play in his maiden Grand Final on the weekend – forecast that the Cats will go into the game with a firm plan to try to curb the influence of Richmond’s big- game player Dustin Martin.

“They ( Richmond) have been the benchmark, the pinnacle of excellence over the last four years, so the challenges are ahead of us,” Dangerfield told The Mercury.

“They are a wonderful side. We have to be at our best to compete with them, and I am confident we can do that.”

The Tigers jumped the Cats in their home- and- away clash last month, keeping their opponents goalless in the opening term and to only just one goal in the first three quarters.

Geelong kicked three more goals in the final term, but the game was effectively gone at that stage, as the Tigers won by 26 points.

“The main lesson is you have to start well against the great sides if you want to beat them,” Dangerfield said.

“The games where we haven’t played well this year, we haven’t started well. You cannot give away a start like that to a team like Richmond.

“The game is won and lost on who can play their brand for the longest period of time … it is about being able to execute in front of goal and convert your chances.”

He said Martin’s outstanding finals record – he is one of only four players to have won two Norm Smith Medals – guaranteed the Cats would put a lot of homework into him ahead of the first Grand Final clash between these two clubs since 1967.

“They have a heap of them ( very good players),” Dangerfield said of the star- studded Richmond side. “( But) we are very respectful of the fact that he ( Martin) is a champion of the game. At this stage, he has been better than anyone over the last few years.

“We are not going to be blinded by that. That would be irresponsible in terms of how we prepare.

“Beyond that, we know they have a really good system that stands up in the big games and we have to make sure we nullify that.”