Geelong is gearing up for a big clash with St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium on Thursday evening as the Cats strive to get back on the winners list.

After a strong start to the season, the Cats have lost their past two clashes against top teams, but will take encouragement from a close finish against Collingwood and a strong second half against North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos.

With a vocal GMHBA Stadium crowd behind them, the Cats will be striving to return to their best against the Saints.

The Details

Geelong v St Kilda
Thursday 22 September 2022 at 5.10pm AEST
GMHBA Stadium
Wadawurrung Country

Tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster.

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Key Points

Young star on the rise
At just 19 years of age, in her second season and first year of AFLW, Georgie Prespakis is having a season to remember.

The super talented Cats midfielder has shown her work rate is second to none on the field, winning the ball, applying pressure and launching Geelong forward time and time again.

In tough conditions in Launceston, Prespakis looked like she was playing with a dry footy, racking up 32 disposals – the first time an AFLW Cat has had 30-plus disposals – at 81.3 per cent efficiency, laying nine tackles and gaining 464m at UTAS Stadium.

Prespakis launched to the top of the AFL Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year leaderboard on the back of the performance, and is five votes clear of Jasmine Garner and Kirsty Lamb in second.

With a midfield that also boasts the likes of Amy McDonald, Becky Webster and Nina Morrison, the Cats are continuing to establish a very strong engine room.

Led by the midfield, that Cats have the third-highest disposal count in the AFLW, but will feel the heat from St Kilda, which is ranked fifth for tackles.

Brooke’s big moment
It’s a big week for the Cats’ youngest listed player, Brooke Plummer.

The 17-year-old is set to make her debut, pulling on the beloved hoops of the club she grew up supporting. Add to that a home game at GMHBA Stadium in a week the men’s team is playing a grand final, and you can imagine Plummer’s excitement.

Recruited to the club as a defender who could push to the midfield, Plummer will take up a role as an outside runner against the Saints, supporting the likes of Mikayla Bowen and Zali Friswell.

An elite kick, Plummer will be looking to help the Cats’ forward drive as they strive to convert good footy into scoreboard reward.

Battle of the rucks
Liv Fuller is having a great second season in the hoops. The Cats’ ruck has been an important part of Geelong’s midfield, with coach Dan Lowther labelling her “outstanding” against the Kangaroos last week.

Fuller faces a big challenge on Thursday evening, coming up against one of the most dominant tap rucks in the league in Erin McKinnon, who averages 22 hitouts a game – the third most in the league.

But Fuller leads the pair in disposals (five more per game on average), clearances (+0.5), marks (+1.5), tackles (+1) and intercept possessions (+1.7).

It will be an intriguing battle, and will play a key role in how the contest unfolds.

How to Watch

Tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster here.

The game will be also broadcast on 7 Mate and can be streamed through Kayo, womens.afl or the AFL Women’s and AFL Live Official Apps.

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

GEELONG has posted its highest ever AFLW score, dismantling St Kilda to win by 50 points on Thursday night. 

The drubbing is also the Cats' biggest victory since joining the competition, with Shelley Scott and Chloe Scheer booting three goals each in the 11.5 (71) to 3.3 (21) contest at GMHBA Stadium. 

It was carnage for the Saints, who were left with just two rotations in the final quarter after Nicola Xenos (knee), Erin McKinnon and Olivia Vesely (both concussion protocols) were ruled out in the second half. 

CATS V SAINTS Full match coverage and stats

Geelong displayed its most decisive ball movement so far this season, looking to find space on the outside and isolating their opponents in one-on-ones. This prevented the Saints from being able to play in support of one another like they have done so expertly for much of the season to date.

Becky Webster instigated much of that lateral movement and smart decision-making. Attacking the contest with speed and power, she would then look for outside runners. 

This was also the case when it came to sending the ball forward, the main area where the Cats have been lacking. Instead of putting the ball to a contest and hoping to scrap it out, forwards were leading into space and creating repeat opportunities for the ball carrier. 

Nat Exon played arguably her best game since joining the Saints with 16 disposals, eight tackles and a goal while Georgia Patrikios battled hard to lead her side with 20 touches. 

Kate Shierlaw brought up her tenth goal of the season to lead the tally once again as her Saints found a bit more control in their forward half in the third quarter. Darcy Guttridge's strength on the wing was evident as she won several key contests and sent the ball forward, while Tarni White's rebound out of defence was crucial. 

Once again Amy McDonald led Geelong's midfield, with 17 disposals and seven clearances to half time, and finishing the game with 34 and 11. Nina Morrison's ability to find space was vital, as was Meg McDonald's strength in defence. 

Geelong has moved into the top four with three wins from five starts, meanwhile the Saints have fallen to 2-3 on the ledger. 

A second quarter onslaught

The story of Geelong for the opening four rounds was that it could defend well but was unable to score. That all changed as the Cats piled on six goals in the opening half - four of which came in the second quarter, where they scored more than they have in three of their four previous matches. Veteran Shelley Scott's move into attack, where she played much of her career at the Demons, was a masterstroke as she was dynamic in the air and able to follow it up once the ball hit the ground. Meanwhile Chloe Scheer created the one-two punch, and they each kicked two goals in the opening quarter to really put the Saints on the back foot. 

What's next?

Geelong is set to face the currently undefeated Western Bulldogs in Ballarat while the Saints will host Collingwood at RSEA Park next Saturday afternoon. 

GEELONG                    2.3     6.4     8.4     11.5   (71)  
ST KILDA                     0.1     0.1     3.1     3.3    (21)  

GOALS  
Geelong: Scheer 3, Scott 3, Moloney 2, Fuller, Morrison, Darby 
St Kilda: White, Shierlaw, Exon 

BEST   
Geelong: Webster, Morrison, A. McDonald, M. McDonald, Prespakis 
St Kilda: Exon, Patrikios, White, Guttridge, Shierlaw 

INJURIES   
Geelong: Nil
St Kilda: McKinnon (concussion), Vesely (concussion), Xenos (knee) 

Reports: Nil  

Crowd: 2,898 at the GMHBA Stadium