The Cats' coach Chris Scott is right to point out there is more to their midfield than Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood. However, the pair is crucial to the team's performance.

Their presence has been a key to the improvement in Josh Caddy, Mitch Duncan, Cam Guthrie and Steven Motlop.

Caddy remains a contested-ball animal but without the pressure of carrying the load, while Duncan and Motlop's outside game is flourishing because they have teammates operating inside the contest.

Guthrie, who earned 29 touches in the 120-point flogging of the Suns, is super-consistent and can play whatever role the game demands.

That balance is why the Cats are in the top-four teams for scores for and against, and why after six rounds they are sitting pretty in second place.