Geelong and Sydney have a healthy modern day rivalry that spans the past two decades, with both sides enjoying sustained success.

The Cats have only missed finals three times since 2004, while Sydney has equalled that record with 18 finals appearances in the last 21 years.  
 
Recent history has been in favour of Geelong, only losing two of their past nine clashes with the Swans which includes two finals wins, and that well-known victory on the last day in September in 2022.  

Venue Record – SCG

The SCG has been a relatively happy hunting ground for the Cats, winning 21 of their 38 games (57%) at the venue. 
 
Geelong holds the third-highest winning percentage of any visiting team at the venue, while also playing the most total games (38) of any visiting team at the SCG.  
 
Known as a smaller ground that makes scoring difficult, the Cats have averaged 95 points per game across their 38 appearances.  
 
Tom Hawkins and Mitch Duncan will both play their 10th game at the SCG, moving within one game of James Kelly who visited the venue 11 times.  

Moment at the SCG

Amongst some big wins at the SCG was the Cats late season clash with the Swans in 2019, which saw Geelong run away with a 27-point win in Tom Hawkins’ 250th game.  
 
With scores level at halftime, the Cats poured on 10 majors after half time on the back of a five goal performance from Hawkins, with Mitch Duncan (26 disposals & 2 goals) and Patrick Dangerfield (25 disposals & 2 goals) both instrumental in the win.  
 
Tim Kelly secured the three Brownlow votes on the night, with Hawkins (2) and Duncan (1) rounding out the honours in the important win.  

00:47

Time Cat-sule | The Cats Win a 2002 Nail-biter Against the Swans

Ahead of Sunday's clash with the Swans, we wind the clock back to 2022 to re-live a classic contest between Geelong and Sydney at the SCG

Big Disposal Winners

With the SCG promoting a more contested style of game, it will surprise nobody that Joel Selwood is one of the Cats all time best performers at the venue.  
 
The Geelong legend averaged 26 disposals per game across nine appearances at the SCG, along with six clearances and seven tackles.  
 
Patrick Dangerfield (22 disposals per game) and Mitch Duncan (21 disposals per game) are another pair who accumulate plenty of the footy in Sydney.  

The Goal Kickers

The great Gary Ablett Senior still holds the record for the most goals kicked in a game at the SCG, booting 14 majors in 1994 to lead the Cats to a 94 point win.  
 
Ablett booted 38 goals from nine appearances at the SCG while more recently, Tom Hawkins has kicked 21 majors from his nine matches at the ground.  

10:32

Tom Atkins Press Conference | Round 13

Listen to Tom Atkins, ahead of Geelong's Round 13 clash with the Sydney Swans. Proudly Presented by Ford

The Stat to Watch - Tackles

With contested football a feature at the SCG, tackling becomes very important and the Swans so far this season do plenty of it.  
 
Sydney have won their first five games at the venue this season, averaging 68 tackles per game as a team and averaging 10 more tackles than their opposition each week.  
 
The last two teams to dethrone the Swans at the SCG have brought the heat, with Melbourne (79 tackles, round 24 2023) and St Kilda (99 tackles, round 13 2023) bringing elite pressure.  

A Piece of Trivia

Sunday’s clash will mark the 24th time Chris Scott has coached against John Longmire, equalling the most games he has led the Cats against any head coach. Scott has also coached against Alastair Clarkson 24 times across his 14 years in charge. 
 
Scott will coach the Cats for the 11th time at the SCG, only losing four times when heading north.