In what seems like the blink of an eye, a new AFL Women’s season is upon us. The Cats are ready to launch into campaign 2.0 for 2022 when they host Richmond at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday.

The Cats, who feel their return of two wins last season doesn’t do justice to their improvement on the field, will be keen to build on their momentum and show the continued evolution of their game.

Both sides had encouraging wins in the AFLW practice matches, with the Cats posting a commanding victory over Gold Coast to the tune of 36 points in trying conditions, while the Tigers easily accounted for expansion side Hawthorn, winning by 44 points.

The Cats had the better of the Tigers in both their clashes this year – in the Season 6 pre-season and season proper – but both teams will go in with a strong belief they can start their campaign with a win.

There are plenty of new faces in the mix to make their debut for the Cats after a busy Sign & Trade period and the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft, with teams set to be announced at 5.30pm on Saturday.

The Details

Geelong v Richmond
Sunday, 28 August 2022 at 4.10pm AEST
GMHBA Stadium
Wadawurrung Country

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Tickets are available through Ticketmaster here.

Last Time They Met

Richmond 1.4 (10) def. by Geelong 5.3 (33) at Punt Road Oval, Round 8, Season 6

In what was arguably their best game of the season, the Cats put in a strong defensive effort to restrict Richmond to just one goal for the game, while piling on five first-half goals themselves.

Amy McDonald (26 disposals, 8 clearances, 7 tackles, 310m gained) and Becky Webster (20 disposals, 6 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 goal, 234m gained) were unstoppable through the midfield.

The Cats’ defence across the board was impressive, but the back five were brilliant again, allowing the Tigers just five scoring shots – and only one goal amongst them – from 20 inside 50s.

The intensity and pressure lifted in the second half, and while the Cats couldn’t break through for any more goals, they still kept Richmond in check and didn’t concede any.

Head-to-head, the Cats are 2-1 against the Tigers in home and away season matches.

New Faces

It was another busy off-season for the Cats, welcoming a host of new players to the squad.

Midfield star Mikayla Bowen (formerly West Coast Eagles), forward duo Shelley Scott and Jackie Parry (Melbourne) and young winger Ingrid Houtsma (Richmond) all made the move to GMHBA Stadium during the Sign & Trade Period.

After a brilliant VFLW season that yielded 21 goals, former Cat Mia Skinner earned a second chance through the draft, alongside promising young defenders Brooke Plummer and Abbey McDonald.

Young ruck Kalani Scoullar was added to the Cats’ primary list on the eve of their practice match against Gold Coast, after star defender Maddy McMahon and new ruck Sammy Gooden were both moved to the Cats’ inactive list for Season 7.

VFLW Cat and former Suncorp Super Netballer Melissa Bragg was added to the Cats' primary list on Thursday, filling the final vacant spot.

Cats Keen to Build Momentum

Looking at Geelong’s Season 6 win-loss tally alone doesn’t do justice to what was a very promising season for the Cats.

The ladder doesn’t show the close calls – frustrating losses against finalists Brisbane Lions (2 points), North Melbourne (8 points) and Collingwood (11 points).

The Cats slashed their average losing margin from 29 points in 2021 to just 10.5 points in Season 6, on the back of a more competitive, contested style of play.

They’ll be hoping to carry that defensive pressure into Sunday’s game against the Tigers, as well as showing more of the compelling ball movement that opened up their avenues to goal against the Suns in their practice match.

Key Points

1) 52
Remarkably, both the Cats and the Tigers had returns of 8.4 (52) in their practice matches. For two teams who averaged 24.2 points and 34.4 points a game respectively in Season 6, it was a promising start as they look to get bigger scores on the board in Season 7.

The Cats have a new-look attack this season, with the likes of Scott, Parry and Skinner joining the forward mix over the off-season, but it was a young Cat in her third season – Darcy Moloney – who reaped the rewards of the Cats’ forward drive in the practice match, booting four majors.

Chloe Scheer is another who always looms dangerous around goals, while Kate Darby is also a solid option and midfielders Becky Webster and Amy McDonald are a threat when they push into the forward 50.

2) Tackle Time
The Cats were renowned for their high-intensity style of play in season 6, averaging 68 tackles a game – the second most of any team, behind only Fremantle (71.2). The Tigers, meanwhile, had the third lowest average, with 51.8 per game.

While the Cats will place bigger emphasis on their ball movement going forward this season as they look to rectify their biggest concern in Season 6, they will be keen to maintain the pressure that creates their turnover opportunities and keeps the opposition in check on the scoreboard.

Geelong had the third lowest points-for last season, averaging 24.2 a game, but was also seventh-best in the league for points against with just 30.1 a game – by far the best of any team outside the top six.

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 Channel 7, 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.