Geelong will be looking to get its first points on the board when it takes on Carlton at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday night.
The Cats started their 2022 campaign with an eight-point loss to last year’s qualifying finalists North Melbourne at Arden St in Round 1.
Geelong showed considerable improvement compared to the same game last season where they were defeated by the Kangaroos in Round 1 by 62 points.
The club’s eight new players looked right at home, particularly young talent Georgie Prespakis who was nominated for the NAB Rising Star for her outstanding debut where she collected 20 disposals and had seven clearances.
Narrowly missing a victory in Round 1 will fill the team with confidence to take the next step with a win over Carlton in their first home game for the season.
The Details
Geelong Cats v Carlton
Saturday, 15 January 2022 at 7.10pm
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Wadawurrung Country
Last Time They Met
Carlton 10.4 (64) def. Geelong Cats 4.7 (31)
These two teams last met in Round 6, 2021 at Ikon Park. Carlton were still in finals contention and Geelong were yet to register a win for the season.
After Becky Webster kicked the opening goal for the game, Carlton returned fire through small forward Darcy Vescio who kicked two quick goals in succession.
The Blues gradually extended their lead throughout the match with young forwards Serena Gibbs and Georgia Gee kicking two apiece.
Maddison Prespakis was best on ground with 28 disposals, while for the Cats it was Becky Webster and Amy McDonald who shouldered most of the load in the middle with 42 disposals between them.
Covid chaos creates Prespakis match up
It’s only Round 2 and we have had our first fixture change. With the Western Bulldogs' list severely impacted and multiple players having to enter the AFL's Health and Safety Protocols this week, a fixture change was announced on Thursday night informing the league that Geelong would now play Carlton.
The two teams weren’t scheduled to play each other in 2021, but this fixture change means that we will now get to see the Prespakis sisters go head-to-head for the first time in their careers.
Carlton’s Prespakis won the AFLW best and fairest in 2020, and as mentioned earlier, Geelong’s Georgie was nominated for the NAB Rising Star in her first game last week. This is a battle that will get the AFLW world talking.
Footy’s back in Geelong
Saturday night’s game will be the first football game played at GMHBA Stadium in front of a crowd since the Sydney Swans hosted West Coast in AFL Round 16, 2021. The game was moved to Geelong due to the increasing Covid numbers in New South Wales.
Geelong football fans will have their first opportunity to watch their club play at GMHBA in 197 days. The last time the club played at home was on July 2 2021 when the Cats defeated Essendon by 41 points in the men's competition.
It will be great to see Geelong fans back at the footy this Saturday night.
Summer Footy Festival will kick off proceedings from 5pm on the Interactive Lawn outside GMHBA Stadium, with food trucks, AFL Playground and footy fun, live music, a silent disco, face-painting and more!
The Key Points
1) Disciplined defence
Against the Kangaroos, Geelong’s defenders stood strong, limiting North Melbourne to just one goal at half-time.
Maddy McMahon was excellent against Emma King, keeping the tall forward goalless and without a mark for the entire game.
Fellow defender Maddy Keryk was also exceptional with seven intercept possessions, fourteen disposals and three rebound 50s.
This week, the Cats' backline will still have their hands full containing Darcy Vescio, Nicola Stevens and Georgia Gee.
2) Scoreboard pressure
Despite being more competitive, the Cats still struggled to put scores on the board.
Geelong kicked 2.6 in their first game, with both goals coming in the third quarter. The Cats final score was the third-lowest for the competition in Round 1.
Composure with the ball, along with better execution in front of goal, will put the pressure on the Blues’ defence.
How to Watch
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster here.
For those wanting to follow along at home, the game will be broadcast live on Foxtel, 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.
