Eight rounds in and the Cats are sitting a game clear on top of the AFL ladder.
Their potency inside attacking 50 has been a major strength. They are currently the number one scoring team in the competition despite only being 13th for inside 50s.
Geelong’s efficiency and ability to keep the ball at their attacking end has seen the side soar to new heights so far this year, but in an ominous sign to other clubs, Cam Guthrie believes the Cats can still improve further.
“We’re pretty efficient at the moment,” said Guthrie speaking to the Geelong Advertiser.
“We’d like to get the ball inside-50 a little bit more because the last couple of weeks they’ve probably beaten us in pure inside-50 numbers, so we know if we can get it in there, we’re going to score.
Backing up that statement is the Cats even spread of goal kickers this year. After eight rounds, 17 Cats have registered a major with key forward Tom Hawkins (19) and the two Gary’s, Rohan (17) and Ablett (16) leading the charge.
Ablett in particular has been a handful for the opposition with his finishing ability from all angles an asset for his side.
“I think he’s just taking his chances really well,” Guthrie said.
“He’s playing a slightly different role to what he has in the past; he’s a pretty special player.
“He’s really, really skilful, composed, and a great mark overhead which he probably doesn’t too much credit for.
“If we kick it forward to him and ‘Dahl’ and Gary Rohan, we know it’s either going to stay inside 50 or we can score.”
Since returning to the senior team in round five, Guthrie has made a big impact in the middle of the ground; he is currently ranked first at the club for tackles per game and third for clearances.
After two games in Melbourne, Guthrie is looking forward to returning to GMHBA Stadium to play the Western Bulldogs on Saturday.
“It will be nice to get home, play them in front of a home crowd, so we’re looking forward to it, it’ll be a good test,” he said.
“We have a look at their game style, but a lot of the focus is on ourselves and what we can do to put ourselves in a really good position.
“We’ve got some really good KPIs that back that evidence up that we know if we’re doing those things we play really well, so a lot of that focus is on us.”
Potent Cats still on the improve
Cam Guthrie believes Geelong can still improve after a positive start to the season.