Geelong head north for a blockbuster clash with Brisbane on Saturday night, looking to bounce back with a win over the reigning premiers.
With the forecast currently predicting 70mm of rain on the day, it is expected to be a wet and contested battle, similar to Geelong's most recent trip to the Gabba in round six last year.
The Lions have started the year strongly, recording wins over Sydney and West Coast to kick off their title defence, currently sitting in fifth on the ladder.
Check out the main things to keep an eye on as Geelong battles Brisbane on Saturday night.
Ladder
Brisbane: 5th (2-0)
Geelong: 7th (1-1)
Points For
Brisbane - 180
Geelong - 238
Points Against
Brisbane - 157
Geelong - 167
Restricting Dayne Zorko's Supply
A stalwart of Brisbane, Dayne Zorko moved into a different role in 2024 and became a prime distributor off half back for the Lions.
Across 27 games for the season, Zorko averaged a career high 26.3 disposals and 4.8 rebound 50s per game, going at better than 70% disposal efficiency.
His impact was profound in the Preliminary Final, amassing a game high 32 disposals and 766 metres gained in a match winning performance.
Zorko has shown no signs of slowing down in 2025, something the Cats will need to nullify on Saturday night.
ZORKO'S 2025 STATS
| Round |
Disposals |
Rebound |
Marks |
Inside |
Intercept |
Score |
Other Stats |
| Round 1 vs Sydney |
24 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
5 |
2 Goals |
| Round 2 vs West Coast |
28 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 671 Metres Gained |
Taking away their kicking prowess
For a long time Brisbane have been renowned as one of the best kicking teams in the competition, and from a small sample size in 2025 that trend seems to be continuing.
Across 27 games in 2024, the Lions kicked the ball more than their opponents on 23 occasions, finishing the year with 561 more kicks than the next best team in that category.
The first two games of 2025 have been no different, beating both Sydney (+4) and West Coast (+72) in the statistic, a highlight of their precise game plan.
Geelong v Brisbane - Kicking Stats
| Game | Geelong Kicks | Brisbane Kicks | Stat Result | Match Results |
| 2024 Preliminary Final |
205 | 249 | -44 | Lions by 10 points |
| 2024 - Round Six | 212 | 224 | -12 | Cats by 26 points |
| 2023 - Round 19 | 203 | 239 | -36 | Lions by 11 points |
| 2022 - Preliminary Final |
209 | 197 | +12 | Cats by 71 points |
Stopping Lachie Neale
Trying to restrict a two time Brownlow Medal winner is no easy feat, but Geelong have seen firsthand how damaging Lachie Neale can be.
In the Preliminary Final, Neale played an instrumental role finishing with 31 disposals and a game high 12 clearances to help lead the Lions to victory.
The star on-baller was back to best last weekend too, collecting a game high 35 disposals and eight clearances in the win over West Coast.
Geelong will want to gain ascendancy around stoppages on Thursday, stopping Neale will go a long way to achieving that.
