GEELONG CATS vs WEST COAST EAGLES

Saturday, August 21, Paterson’s Stadium
Geelong and West Coast meet in Perth this Saturday with plenty still to play for. After beating the Bombers, the Eagles are back in finals contention, but need to take another big scalp to keep their September ambitions alive. Last week was the first time this year that West Coast have beaten a top eight side, while the Cats have lost two games to opponents outside the eight. Six points is all that separates the top four, so Geelong cannot afford a third interstate defeat if they are to secure second spot. Playing at Paterson’s has long been considered the toughest trip in football and the Cats will certainly be tested by a resurgent West Coast on their home track.

Last Time They Met
Round 20, 2012, Paterson’s Stadium
GEELONG    15 - 7 - 97
WEST COAST  16 - 6 - 102

The roles were reversed when the two clubs last clashed, near the end of the 2012 home and away season. The Eagles snared top spot in round two last year and stayed their for the first half of the season, before an unfortunate run of injuries forced them to slide down the ladder. After a slow start in 2012, Geelong had worked their way into the eight and were fighting for a home final. West Coast were well in the mix for a top four finish and went into the game against the Cats as favourites. The match was an entertaining, hard fought contest, reflected in the narrow, five point result.  

Key Match-Ups
MATHEW STOKES vs ANDREW GAFF
Mathew Stokes reaches his 150 game milestone in the best form of his career. He joined Geelong as a mature age recruit from the SANFL and debuted in 2006. A fast and creative player, Stokes has played most of his games, including three grand finals, as a small forward. After a disappointing 2012, he was determined to improve his fitness over the pre-season and the results have been dramatic. Stokes has moved into the midfield and averages over 25 disposals per game. He has lost none of his influence in front of goal, contributing 20 goals assists this season, which places 1st at the Cats and 4th in the AFL. Stokes’ work ethic is unrivalled, spreading quickly from contests to find space and provide a target. With an average of 5.4 per game, he is in the top 50 in the AFL for total marks. Standing at just 175cm, this is no small feat.

The most dangerous outside midfielder at the Eagles is emerging young talent, Andrew Gaff. He had a break out season last year, ranking 2nd in the AFL for uncontested possessions. Finishing 5th in the club best and fairest, Gaff played every match in 2012 and he is yet to miss a game this year. He has elite fitness and a deadly left foot, averaging over 20 possessions with a disposal efficiency of 70.1%. Gaff is most effective in the forward half of the ground, 2nd at West Coast for inside 50s and goal assists.

JOSH CADDY vs SAM BUTLER
Josh Caddy has been an exciting addition to the Geelong side this year, joining the club after two seasons with the Gold Coast Suns. Playing mostly across half forward for the Cats, he has recently rotated into the midfield for short bursts on the ball. He has played the last seven matches, averaging 18 disposals and a goal per game during that period. Caddy is a tough bodied young talent who is growing in confidence, displaying the speed and strength to break through tackles and compete aerially against bigger opponents. Last week he was given a defensive role against Port Adelaide midfielder Matthew Broadbent and he relished the responsibility. Caddy is dangerous enough to demand the full attention of a defender and shown that he is able to pressure and negate his opponent when required.  

Sam Butler has become a key member of the West Coast defence, with Beau Waters and Shannon Hurn both missing the last month through injury. In his 10th season, Butler is a competitive defender with the versatility to play on tall and small opponents. He reads the play well to intercept forward entries and, averaging 5.4 per match, is ranked fourth at the Eagles for marks. He has a wiry frame and is a strong contested player, typically making four tackles per game. Butler is most dangerous when he is free to rebound out of defence. He is the 2nd most effective player at the Eagles when in possession, averaging 17.3 disposals with 80.3% efficiency this season.  

Did You Know?
Geelong had 171 interchange rotations against Port Adelaide, the most of any team this season. A concussion to Mitch Duncan in the opening five minutes forced the Cats to activate their substitute and, subsequently, play out the rest of the match one man down. It was an uncharacteristically active interchange for Geelong, who are sixth in the AFL for total rotations. Their tally of 171 last Saturday is not only the highest in 2013 but the third highest total of all time.

Tom Hawkins has been in excellent goal kicking form, despite the long-term back injury that has impeded his season and may prevent him from travelling to Perth. Kicking accuracy had long been a criticism of Hawkins, but he has scored 45 goals and just 14 behinds this season. He is the leading goal kicker at the Cats and currently eighth in the AFL. Such is his precision, the Tomahawk has a goal accuracy of 71.4%, which is 5.5% better than any other player in the in the league’s top 15 goal scorers.