It is do-or-die for Geelong when they host Collingwood in the first semi final at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The winner will face Brisbane in a preliminary final and for the loser their season will come to an end.

Patrick Dangerfield is confident that won’t be Geelong and that the boys can ‘bounce back’ after going down to Port in the first week of finals.

“I don’t feel like we played that poorly, we just didn’t execute the way we would have liked,” Dangerfield said at Wednesday’s press conference.

“Finals are a game of inches, when you get your opportunities and you have the momentum swings in games, you have got to make sure that you have got that scoreboard pressure.

“We had opportunities to do that and didn’t capitalise on them.

“Whilst we were really disappointed, there were positives to come out of it I think, and we are really confident we will bounce back and play really good footy this week.”

For and Against: Played 235 games | Won: 100 | Drawn: 1 | Lost: 134

Recent history suggests this game should be a closely fought encounter with the last three matches decided by an average of 13 points.

Last time they met: R7, 2020 – Geelong 5.5 (35) def by Collingwood 8.9 (57)

Dangerfield (32 disposals, 10 clearances) and Cam Guthrie (28 disposals, 8 clearances) were the major ball winners for the Cats in their 22-point loss.

Jordan De Goey was the star for the Pies kicking five goals. He was well supported by Adam Treloar who had a game-high 34 disposals and 11 clearances.

Broadcast & Match Details

Saturday 10 October from 7.40pm AEDT.
Watch: Seven, Fox Footy, Kayo
Listen: K Rock Football

A big night for Hawkins…

Tom Hawkins is set to qualify for AFL life membership on Saturday night with his 300th official game since making his debut in 2007. Comprising of 274 premiership matches, 24 pre-season matches and one state game.

The 2020 Coleman Medallist is only four goals away from reaching 600 for his career and we are backing him in to achieve the milestone this week and join club greats Gary Ablett Snr and Doug Wade as the only other men to do so.

Limiting damage when opposition are in control…

Defending with the ball in hand will be crucial when the opposition has the momentum according to star onballer Patrick Dangerfield.

Port Adelaide’s dominant third term proved decisive and Geelong has taken some learnings from what to do should something similar occur against Collingwood.

“For us it is getting the ball back and not just defending without the ball. So, you can defend with ball in hand and retain possession, that’s the key you want to compose possession.

“It’s one thing to defend well, but the best thing is to defend with the ball in hand and we need to be better when we do win possession that we can maintain it for one or two minutes, versus kick it down the line or giving the opposition the opportunity to win it back.”

Into the record books...

Joel Selwood is due to play his 32nd final and if named in Geelong's team will move to outright third behind only Michael Tuck and Shaun Burgoyne for most finals in VFL/AFL history. Harry Taylor is set to play his 29th final which would move him up to equal fifth on the same list alongside Bruce Doull, Leigh Matthews and Wayne Schimmelbusch.

PATRICK Dangerfield has dominated many big games and many finals before. But usually they haven't been from full-forward.

Dangerfield was the centrepiece of Geelong's semi-final slaughter of Collingwood on Saturday night, as the Cats booked a preliminary final berth against Brisbane with a 68-point trashing of the listless Pies. 

The superstar midfielder was stationed deep in attack for the majority of the contest and was supreme in the Cats' dominant 15.10 (100) to 5.2 (32) victory at the Gabba on Saturday night. Remarkably, Collingwood was kept to one goal in the opening three quarters, with four late majors clawing them out of record-breaking lows. 

Dangerfield finished with four goals in a brilliant performance spent largely inside the forward 50, with the Brownlow medallist gathering 19 disposals, six marks and having an immeasurable impact on the result. 

The Cats' depth of midfield options gives coach Chris Scott the chance to use one of the competition's best ball-getters deep in attack and Dangerfield was up for the task, flying for grabs, splitting packs and creating even more goals than he kicked. 

The Cats entered the clash with their finals record under the spotlight and having won four of their past 16 finals games. But that monkey on their back quickly disappeared as they embarrassed the Magpies on neutral turf.  

After its thrilling elimination final win over West Coast last week in Perth, Collingwood was off the boil and was made to look third-rate by the Cats, who were as tough as they were slick. It was a meek ending for Nathan Buckley's men, even if their travel across the country appeared to have taken its toll.

Mitch Duncan was among the Cats' best with 30 disposals, including 19 in the first half, while Cam Guthrie and Sam Menegola were also terrific. Defensive pair Tom Stewart and Lachie Henderson were also important in shutting down any chances for the impotent Pies, who had few winners as Geelong's barrage begun early. 

The Cats booted the first three goals of the game and had broken out to a 22-point lead by the first change.

Geelong champion Gary Ablett was involved early, setting up the first two goals, while Coleman medallist Tom Hawkins also got involved.

Dangerfield, playing from deep in attack, helped extend that lead to start the second quarter with two bits of brilliance. The first came when he ran out of the goalsquare, crashed a pack and Luke Dahlhaus was there to take the spoils.

The next was a mark pinned up against the boundary line, from which the superstar calmly slotted the checkside shot. Within moments the Cats had lifted to a 34-point lead, leaving Collingwood floundering. 

More Dangerfield magic, this time a holding-the-ball tackle and then another outside-the-boot banana goal, helped the Cats to a nine-goal lead at the main break after keeping the Magpies scoreless for the term. Before the Magpies could settle, the game – and their season – had been extinguished. 

The second half played out like the two sides were already thinking about next week: the Cats about preserving energy ahead of the preliminary final clash against the Lions and the Magpies ruing a finals shocker in real time.  

GEELONG                4.4       9.6       9.8     15.10 (100)
COLLINGWOOD    1.0       1.0       1.1     5.2 (32)

GOALS
Geelong: Dangerfield 4, Hawkins 4, Dahlhaus, Guthrie, Menegola, Miers, Selwood, Stanley, Tuohy
Collingwood: Mihocek 2, Elliott, Grundy, Stephenson

BEST
Geelong: Dangerfield, Duncan, Stewart, Guthrie, Henderson, Menegola
Collingwood: Adams, Crisp, Quaynor, Thomas

INJURIES
Geelong: Stanley (knee) 
Collingwood: Adams (elbow), Cox (ribs)