This Saturday Geelong will travel to Moorabbin to play St Kilda at the recently redeveloped RSEA Park at 3.10pm.
Both teams registered wins in their most recent matches; for St Kilda, it was their first of the season, whilst Geelong got their second.
Last weekend, a strong second quarter set Geelong up for a 23-point victory over the Tigers at Punt Road Oval. The Cats kicked four goals to one in the second term and were able to hold on to the lead for the remainder of the match.
St Kilda had a much closer encounter, holding off a gallant Gold Coast Suns by three points. The Saints' senior players stood up when it mattered, with Tilly Lucas-Rodd (21 disposals, nine tackles), Bianca Jakobsson (18 disposals) and Cat Phillips (18 disposals, seven marks) rising to the occasion.
With only a team separating Geelong (11th) and St Kilda (13th) on the ladder, this should be a close one.
The Details
St Kilda Saints v Geelong Cats
Saturday 5 March 2022 at 3.10pm
RSEA Park
Boon Wurrung/Bunerong Country
Last Time They Met
St. Kilda 7.9 (51) def. Geelong 3.4 (22) at RSEA Park, Round 4, 2021
These two teams met for the first time in Round 4 last season on a Friday night in Moorabbin.
The game was even up until half-time, with both sides scoring a goal apiece at the main break and it looked as though it could be a tight game.
However, the Saints lifted in the third term, with key forwards Caitlin Grieser, Kate Shierlaw and Isabella Shannon scoring majors, whilst keeping Geelong scoreless.
Geelong added a couple of goals late in the game through Georgie Rankin, who kicked her first-ever goal, and Phoebe McWilliams.
But Saints’ small forward Kate McCarthy put the game out of reach with a final goal, handing the Saints a 29-point victory.
Becky Webster was the best for the Cats, with 24 disposals and eight marks, earning herself a NAB Rising Star nomination.
Close calls
Though the Saints have only had the one win this season, they have come excruciatingly close on a number of occasions. In fact, in three of their games they have fallen short by five points or less.
The Saints may not have the wins on the board, but they have challenged teams right up until the final siren.
St Kilda shouldn’t be taken lightly. The Cats will need a four-quarter effort should they walk away with the win.
Back-to-back
This weekend the Cats have an opportunity to win back-to-back matches for the first time since Round 5 2020.
If the Saints get over the line it would be their first-ever back-to-back win in a season.
The last time the Cats won consecutive matches was back in Rounds 4 and 5, 2020, when they beat Richmond by 22 points at Queen Elizabeth Oval and followed up with a 20-point win against the Gold Coast Suns in Mackay.
It’s been a while since they’ve done it, but it would be nice to see consecutive W’s next to Geelong Cats on the ladder.
The Key Points
1) McMahon and McDonald v Shierlaw and G-Train
St Kilda forward Caitlin Grieser, also known as the G-Train, is back in her natural habitat this weekend at RSEA Park, where she famously kicked a goal from outside 50.
Grieser will be joined by her partner-in- crime Kate Shierlaw, who, despite kicking just the two goals so far this season, is a player who can turn games.
Defensive duo Maddy McMahon and Meghan McDonald will likely match up on St Kilda’s tall forwards in what should be a battle worth watching.
2) Lucas-Rodd steps up
St Kilda utility Tilly Lucas-Rodd has stood up this season in the absence of Georgia Patrikios (inactive this season) and Tyanna Smith (ACL).
Lucas-Rodd leads her team in a whole host of statistics including disposals, metres gained, clearances and contested possessions.
The 25-year-old will come head-to-head with Geelong’s very own contested possession specialist Amy McDonald.
Who will be first to the ball this Saturday?
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.