“We’ve done a lot right in the last two weeks. The boys have freshened up after the Richmond game and we’ve done some great training over the last few days.
“We’re looking forward to getting over there and having a great game and, hopefully, a good win,” Mackie told Cats TV.
Geelong’s post-bye form has been poor since it’s introduction, with one win and four losses recorded. Mackie admitted the statistic was puzzling.
“It was a bit of a shock when I read that,” Mackie said.
Gullan was also surprised by the Cats poor record, however noted that the Cats are doing things differently this time, travelling interstate earlier and training in Subiaco prior to the match.
“It’s a bizarre stat… I think it’s a mental let down.
“Coaches will try every trick and sometimes players just don’t respond and they get out of their routine,” Gullan said.
Mackie has been forced to sit on the sidelines over recent weeks, after straining his hamstring against Hawthorn in Round 5, yet looks set for selection this week.
“I’m looking forward to playing this week, it’s obviously a big game for us.
“It’s always harder to watch, but it’s been a good chance to have that mental break and come back fit and firing,” Mackie said.
Now a third of the way through the season, the Cats are sitting comfortably after recording six wins and only one loss. However Mackie is adamant that they have plenty to work on as a team and are keen to continue improving.
“It’s an evolving thing. You judge yourself week-by-week, and almost quarter-by-quarter I suppose. There have been some good periods of footy and a couple that haven’t been so great, so we’re looking to just keep on building.
“There’s obviously a lot of stuff that we continue to work on. The Richmond game was a close one in the end and there were probably a couple of things we didn’t do too well.
“We’ve freshened up, everyone’s looking forward to going over to the West and it’s a really big game for us. For what we want to do for the year, the next three weeks are crucial,” Mackie said.
