OPPONENT: Hawthorn
VENUE: MCG
DATE AND TIME: Monday, April 6, 3.20pm AEST
WEATHER FORECAST: shower or two, 18 degrees

FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

1. GEELONG’S RECRUITS
The Cats named three new players in their 25-man squad that was released on Thursday evening. Star recruit Mitch Clark was selected at centre half-forward, while draftees Nakia Cockatoo and Cory Gregson were named on the extended bench. The team will be finalised at 4pm on Saturday. Judging by what Cats coach Chris Scott had to say in his mid-week press conference, both Cockatoo and Gregson are appear likely to get the nod to make their debuts against the Hawks.

Check out the Cats squad named on Thursday evening

2. THE NEW HAWKS
The reigning premiers have a couple of new boys of their own. Former Melbourne defender James Frawley, who was an All Australian in 2010, has been named at full-back, while former Greater Western Sydney midfielder Jonathan O’Rourke is among the seven players named on Hawthorn’s extended bench. The Hawks will go into the game without two-time premiership player David Hale after electing to go with big men Ben McEvoy and Jonathan Ceglar instead. Matt Spangher and Grant Birchall are also missing from Hawthorn’s line-up.

3. KELLY AND BARTEL IN THE MIDFIELD
Geelong’s on-ball brigade will have a retro look this season with three-time premiership players James Kelly and Jimmy Bartel, who spent most of last season in the backline and forward line respectively, earmarked to spent more time in the middle of the park. Bartel was in brilliant touch during the NAB Challenge, racking up 26 touches against Gold Coast, another 26 against Adelaide and then tally 22 disposals in a half against Carlton. His form was the subject of much discussion in the first episode of PodCats, our new podcast, which features CatsTV duo Chris Appleby and Adam McNicol and Herald Sun journalist Scott Gullan.

listen to ‘PodCats: The official Cats podcats (Ep1)’ on audioBoom

4. A BIG MARGIN?
In recent years the Cats and Hawks have been involved in many close games when playing each other. Yet both clubs have a reputation for dishing out plenty of thrashings. Between 1987 and 2014, 17.07 per cent of Geelong's results were wins by 60 points or more – the highest percentage of any team. The next best were Hawthorn (14.70 per cent), Adelaide (12.97 per cent) and West Coast (11.42 per cent).

That random fact was courtesy of Rogers Results

5. AND HERE ARE A COUPLE FROM OUR FANS …