The Cats will finish off their home and away season on Saturday with a clash against West Coast, trying to secure their place in top four heading into Finals.  

With a win against the Eagles, Geelong can’t finish any lower than fourth with the possibility of finishing as high as second.  

A loss could potentially see the Cats slide as far as eighth, so Chris Scott and his team will be keen to put in a strong performance on Saturday afternoon.  

West Coast sit in 16th position heading into the final round but have won two of their past three games to gain a bit of momentum in the back half of the season.  

The Eagles have already ruled out Jeremy McGovern and Tom Barrass for the trip to Geelong, but the Cats will be looking to gain some momentum of their own heading into September.  

Ladder   

Geelong: 4th (14-8)  
  
West Coast: 16th (5-17) 

Points For  

Geelong – 1996 
  
West Coast – 1519 

Points Against  

Geelong – 1853 
  
West Coast – 2171 

Staving off the Harley Hype 

There might not be a player in the competition that has had more hype in 2024, but Harley Reid has been impressive in his first AFL season.  

The number one draft pick has averaged nearly 19 disposals and five clearances per game, while also producing a number of highlights in front of goal.  

But Geelong’s own rising star, Ollie Dempsey has been just as impressive this season averaging 18 disposals and kicking 20 goals for the year.  

Dempsey has higher averages than Reid in marks, intercept possessions, score involvements and goals, creating a fascinating battle to watch this Saturday.  

Reconnecting with a familiar face 
 
Tim Kelly is set to face the Cats at GMHBA Stadium for the third time, after crossing from Geelong to the Eagles via trade at the end of the 2019 season.  

Kelly has been strong for West Coast this season leading the club for total disposals, while also sitting in the top two for tackles, inside 50’s and clearances.  

The midfielder has collected 30 disposals or more in two of his last four matches, while picking up 22 possessions and 11 tackles in his last meeting with the Cats.  

Winning the Contested Battle 

Statistically it hasn’t been a great season for West Coast, but one common theme in their five wins this season is their contested possession numbers.  

Across those five games, the Eagles average 12 more contested possessions than their opponent, only losing the statistic in one of those matches.  

West Coast rely on their stoppage leaders like Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly, providing one area for the Cats to try and limit this weekend.