With a month left in the NAB AFL Women’s season, the Cats will be keen to make a statement on the field and show what they’re capable of.

Sunday’s clash against Carlton – a team the Cats haven’t faced since their inaugural 2019 season – shapes as a big one for Geelong as it looks to turn its season around.

The Details

Carlton v Geelong
Sunday, 7 March at 12.40pm AEDT
Ikon Park, Carlton

Tickets are on sale through Ticketmaster. Get them here.

Last Time They Met

Geelong 2.7 (19) def Carlton 1.8 (14) Round 4, 2019

In what was the Cats’ second win in their AFLW history, Phoebe McWilliams was phenomenal, particularly during their first half, where she collected eight disposals, five marks and a goal.

The Cats dominated large patches of play, but inaccuracy hurt both teams on the scoreboard.

Renee Garing was a force to be reckoned with, collecting 15 disposals and laying nine tackles, while Rocky Cranston matched Garing’s game-high nine tackles, as well as having 12 disposals in an impressive outing.

Cats to Keep Your Eye On

Amy McDonald has been going from strength to strength in a breakout 2021 season. The 23-year-old has been named the Cats’ AFLW Fans MVP, presented by Viva Energy, three times already this season. Against Richmond last week, she laid a career-high seven tackles, as well as 17 disposals, three clearances, two intercepts and two inside 50s.

While on the topic of McDonalds, captain Meghan has been a solid and steady presence in the defensive 50. Against the Tigers, she had a game-high 11 intercepts, as well as four marks, two tackles and 13 disposals.

The Key Points

1) Tackling pressure: Even when the scoreboard hasn’t been doing any favours for the Cats this season, their pressure has been on point. It wasn’t quite at the mark they would have liked against the Tigers last week, when the Cats laid 47 tackles (down on their season average of 53.2), with just one being laid inside their forward 50, compared to 16 for the Tigers. Bringing the heat back on Sunday will be a key as the Cats look to turn things around.

2) Forward momentum: The Cats' forward entries were down against Richmond, as they managed to enter the arc just 19 times in Round 5 (down from an average of 24 entries over the first month of the season), and from those they impacted the scoreboard just three times. The Cats' disposal efficiency around the ground has been solid and, with the exception of the Tigers, they are usually around the mark on entries as well. The missing piece of the puzzle is converting those entries into genuine opportunities, and it will be a puzzle the Cats will be eager to solve against the Blues.

3) Who steps up for Olivia Purcell: With the sad news that Olivia Purcell ruptured the ACL in her right knee against the Tigers last week, her Cats teammates have a sizeable task to try to cover the void left by the reigning best and fairest. Purcell led by example with tenacity at the contest and her tackling prowess. With a team that has produced brilliant pressure at times across the season, the Cats will be eager to plug the gaps as best they can.

Amy McDonald and Danielle Higgins laid a game-high seven tackles each last week, while Becky Webster has been brilliant around the contest so far in 2021, and Amy McDonald has been a shining light who will look to carry on her strong form.

How to Watch

If you wish to attend the game, you must pre-purchase a ticket. Tickets are just $10 for adults/concession, while anyone under 18 years of age can enter free (but still must redeem a ticket). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.

If you’re watching from home, the game be shown live on Channel 7, and will also be streamed on womens.afl and the official AFLW App.

Follow the @catswomens on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the game.