Geelong are gearing up for a big challenge awaiting on Thursday night, taking on a rapidly improving Hawthorn side who have won three games in the opening month of the season.

The Cats cruised to a comfortable victory over the Hawks in the final round of the 2023 regular season, but Hawthorn have taken big strides this year to set up an enticing clash at GMHBA Stadium.

Week 4 saw Geelong claim their first win of the 2024 AFLW season, gathering momentum with a big 69-point win over the Gold Coast Suns.

Cats head coach Dan Lowther said that the focus quickly shifted to Thursday night’s clash, understanding that they will need to be at their best to beat the Hawks.

10:48

Lowther & Friswell Press Conference | AFLW Week 5

Dan Lowther and Zali Friswell spoke to the media ahead of Geelong's 2 home games in the next week! Proudly Presented by Deakin University.

“We turned our attention really quickly, we referred to it the other day as a bit of a festival of footy,” Lowther said.

“Off the back of a strong performance, I think all the girls are motivated to get back out and play again. To play on a quick turnaround is good timing for us, the momentum is there and the willingness to play again is high.

“Hawthorn have been going really well so it is another great challenge for us, to play against a strong team who are on the rise.

“But our result on the weekend has highlighted the fact that we are progressing in the right direction, that was more the brand we wanted to see.”

50:30

Yeah The Girls! Week 5

After a big win the girls are joined by debutant Caitlin Thorne and AFL media member Kate McCarthy. We get set for 2 games in a week as our condensed portion of the season begins!

Lowther and the Cats now enter a condensed period with four games in the space of two weeks, including back-to-back home games against Hawthorn and Fremantle.

This fortnight will see Geelong have three consecutive five day turnarounds, with the Thursday night’s clash with Hawthorn the second game in an intense stretch.

Lowther provided insight into how he and the coaching staff are preparing for the upcoming period, making sure they get the best out of the playing group each game.

“Each team has said they have planned for it, I am sure everyone is planning for it differently,” Lowther said.

“For us we need to make sure we are fielding our best team, the one we think will win against any opposition. It might be that we manage players during the week so they get up for game day, because they are important for our game performance.

“If we feel the need to make a change we will, but the management part can be at any time of the week.

“We are fortunate to have younger players who are keen to play, they are ready to go if we need them.”