The highly anticipated Easter Monday clash is just a few days away, Geelong are ready to do battle with Hawthorn at the MCG.  

Plenty has been made of the history between these two teams, but they have both made a strong start to the 2025 season and currently sit inside the top eight on the ladder. 

For the Cats it will be a chance to string together three consecutive wins, coming off an impressive Gather Round victory against the Crows at Adelaide Oval. 

Hawthorn on the other hand were comfortably defeated by Port Adelaide last weekend, but remain in a strong position after winning their opening four games of the year. 

Check out some of the key stats and figures ahead of the blockbuster Easter Monday clash, proudly presented by Deakin University. 

Ladder  

Geelong: 6th (3-2)

Hawthorn: 5th (4-1)

Points For 

Geelong - 503

Hawthorn - 454

Points Against 

Geelong - 383

Hawthorn - 406

Deakin Performance Stat of the Week

Hawthorn's Disposal Efficiency

It is no secret that the Hawks enjoy playing a fast brand of football, but what sets them apart from other teams is their ability to do it efficiently each week. 

A clanger refers to an error made by a player resulting in a negative result for his side, Hawthorn have registered less clangers than their opponent in each of their first five games. 

The total differential is -59 across their opening five matches, which indicates that they do not turn the ball over on many occasions and are able to execute their ball movement precisely. 

By comparison the Cats have turned the ball over more than their opponents in three of the first five weeks, an area that will be looking to improve in on Easter Monday. 

Hawthorn's Clanger Count in 2025

Restricting Jai Newcombe 

He is not a big accumulator of the football, but Jai Newcombe's impact around stoppage situations is undeniable and will be a particular focus for the Cats with Will Day absent. 

Through the opening five weeks of the season, Newcombe ranks inside the competition's top 10 players for clearances and contested possessions, while also sitting inside the top 20 for tackles and score involvements. 

Newcombe also leads Hawthorn for disposals, inside 50's, clearances and contested possessions in 2025, nullifying his impact will go a long way to securing a win on Easter Monday for Geelong. 

Newcombe's 2025 Stats

Limiting Hawthorn's Marks Inside 50

Another area that Hawthorn have excelled in statistically this year is marks inside 50, able to find targets in their forward half which has helped set up the majority of their scoring opportunities. 

Across the opening five games of their season, Hawthorn have taken more marks inside 50 than four of their opponents with a +33 differential, Port Adelaide were the only team that managed to halve them in this statistic. 

It has been an even spread for the Hawks too, with Mabior Chol and Jack Gunston (nine marks inside 50) leading the way, followed by James Sicily (seven) and Blake Hardwick (six).