With a month left in the NAB AFL Women’s season, the Cats will be keen to make a statement on the field and show what they’re capable of.

Sunday’s clash against Carlton – a team the Cats haven’t faced since their inaugural 2019 season – shapes as a big one for Geelong as it looks to turn its season around.

The Details

Carlton v Geelong
Sunday, 7 March at 12.40pm AEDT
Ikon Park, Carlton

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. Get them here.

Last Time They Met

Geelong 2.7 (19) def Carlton 1.8 (14) Round 4, 2019

In what was the Cats’ second win in their AFLW history, Phoebe McWilliams was phenomenal, particularly during their first half, where she collected eight disposals, five marks and a goal.

The Cats dominated large patches of play, but inaccuracy hurt both teams on the scoreboard.

Renee Garing was a force to be reckoned with, collecting 15 disposals and laying nine tackles, while Rocky Cranston matched Garing’s game-high nine tackles, as well as having 12 disposals in an impressive outing.

Cats to Keep Your Eye On

Amy McDonald has been going from strength to strength in a breakout 2021 season. The 23-year-old has been named the Cats’ AFLW Fans MVP, presented by Viva Energy, three times already this season. Against Richmond last week, she laid a career-high seven tackles, as well as 17 disposals, three clearances, two intercepts and two inside 50s.

While on the topic of McDonalds, captain Meghan has been a solid and steady presence in the defensive 50. Against the Tigers, she had a game-high 11 intercepts, as well as four marks, two tackles and 13 disposals.

The Key Points

1) Tackling pressure: Even when the scoreboard hasn’t been doing any favours for the Cats this season, their pressure has been on point. It wasn’t quite at the mark they would have liked against the Tigers last week, when the Cats laid 47 tackles (down on their season average of 53.2), with just one being laid inside their forward 50, compared to 16 for the Tigers. Bringing the heat back on Sunday will be a key as the Cats look to turn things around.

2) Forward momentum: The Cats' forward entries were down against Richmond, as they managed to enter the arc just 19 times in Round 5 (down from an average of 24 entries over the first month of the season), and from those they impacted the scoreboard just three times. The Cats' disposal efficiency around the ground has been solid and, with the exception of the Tigers, they are usually around the mark on entries as well. The missing piece of the puzzle is converting those entries into genuine opportunities, and it will be a puzzle the Cats will be eager to solve against the Blues.

3) Who steps up for Olivia Purcell: With the sad news that Olivia Purcell ruptured the ACL in her right knee against the Tigers last week, her Cats teammates have a sizeable task to try to cover the void left by the reigning best and fairest. Purcell led by example with tenacity at the contest and her tackling prowess. With a team that has produced brilliant pressure at times across the season, the Cats will be eager to plug the gaps as best they can.

Amy McDonald and Danielle Higgins laid a game-high seven tackles each last week, while Becky Webster has been brilliant around the contest so far in 2021, and Amy McDonald has been a shining light who will look to carry on her strong form.

How to Watch

If you wish to attend the game, you must pre-purchase a ticket. Tickets are just $10 for adults/concession, while anyone under 18 years of age can enter free (but still must redeem a ticket). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

If you’re watching from home, the game be shown live on Channel 7, and will also be streamed on womens.afl and the official AFLW App.

Follow the @catswomens on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the game.

An improved performance from the Cats wasn't enough to get the win against Carlton at Ikon Park on Sunday.

Geelong brought strong pressure and energy to the contest, but the Blues made better use of their opportunities to score in the 10.4 (64) to 4.7 (31) win.

The game came at a cost on the injury front for both teams.

Geelong's Millie Brown took no part in the second half with a tight hamstring, while Carlton young gun Mimi Hill had to be helped off the field by trainers after suffering a knee injury in the final term.

Earlier, reigning league best-and-fairest Prespakis hurt her left elbow pushing off the ground while trying to feed out a handpass through traffic from her knees. She spent quarter-time on the bench undergoing medical assessment and had the joint strapped, but returned to play a key role in the Blues' midfield.

Blues marquee forward Tayla Harris was left out of the selected side but Carlton still found plenty of avenues to goal, piling on their highest score of the season against the winless Cats to keep in touch with the top six.

Becky Webster led the way for Geelong with disposals (21), followed closely by Amy McDonald (20) and Renee Garing (12).

Webster started the game on the perfect note, getting the first score of the afternoon as she kicked her first ever NAB AFL Women's goal.

But Vescio found space out the back to kick two goals in a minute to seize the lead and the Blues had four on the board by quarter-time.

Geelong forward Phoebe McWilliams and Blues defender Alison Downie both left the field temporarily after a nasty head clash during the second quarter.

Amy McDonald, Sophie Van De Heuvel and Webster were Geelong's best contributors.

CARLTON     4.0      6.1      8.3      10.4 (64)
GEELONG     2.1      2.3      4.4      4.7 (31)

GOALS
Carlton: Gibbs 2, Vescio 2, Gee 2, Stevens, Pound, Prespakis, Plane
Geelong: Webster, Barber, Cranston, Higgins

BEST
Carlton: Prespakis, Vescio, O'Dea, Egan, McKay, Gibbs
Geelong: M.McDonald, A.McDonald, Webster, Van De Heuvel

INJURIES
Carlton: Hill (knee)
Geelong: Brown (hamstring)

Reports: Nil