This week the Cats travel north to Spotless Stadium for a Saturday night blockbuster against the ladder-leading Giants.

Cats Media has identified three points of interest to follow:

Get your head in the game

It’s been a “will he” or “won’t he” week for Joel Selwood and the Cats.

The skipper was knocked unconscious in the opening minute of Geelong’s two-point win over Fremantle last Sunday and his health has been scrutinised every day since.

Selwood trained on Thursday and has undergone rigorous testing. As it stands, the Cats’ medical team are happy with his progress and the 28-year-old has made both the squad and the trip to Sydney. But that doesn’t mean he plays.

Senior coach Chris Scott told the media earlier this week the captain will be given until the final moment to prove his fitness, and so the waiting game continues.

Two Guthries are better than one

The Cats will welcome some more of those good Guthrie genes into the fold on Saturday night, as rookie Zach Guthrie makes his AFL debut against the Giants.

In 118 games, brother Cameron has established himself as a leader and one of the Cats’ key players. His younger brother Zach now joins him for game number one, having been told of his debut just a day before his 19^th birthday, and making said debut the day after.

Taken with pick 33 in last year’s rookie draft, Zach Guthrie was most impressive through the JLT Community Series – averaging 21 disposals. He even lined up on Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli and hopefully had the notepad out that night as he prepares to take on the likes of Steve Johnson, Toby Greene and Devon Smith.

It’s the match of the round 

Above all else, this is first versus third. 

The Giants have earned premiership favouritism and in the words of forward Daniel Menzel, present themselves as Geelong’s “biggest challenge so far”.

Statistically speaking, these are two of the best offences in the business. The Giants sit third for average points at 103.7 while the Cats rank fifth with 100.6. For points against, the Giants again have the edge and are ranked sixth on 86.1, though Geelong isn’t too far behind at 88.2 and ninth overall.

But where the game will be won and lost is most definitely in the midfield, as we see Joel Selwood (hopefully), Patrick Dangerfield and Mitch Duncan go head-to-head with Dylan Shiel, Callan Ward and Josh Kelly amongst others. As is no surprise, the ladder-leaders rank first in clearances, averaging 42.2 per game. The Cats come in fifth with 38.6 but play a more contested brand of football averaging 149.8 contested possessions to the Giant’s 143. 

Both may also have injury lists longer than the Princes Highway, but no matter the personnel on Saturday night, this is a top-four blockbuster which will shape the rest of the season for two premiership contenders.