The Cats will make their first interstate trip for 2021 when they head to Perth to take on the West Coast Eagles on Monday.
After a promising outing against Carlton last weekend, the Cats will be eager to step up again as they chase a breakthrough win.
The Details
West Coast Eagles v Geelong
Monday, 15 March at 2.10pm (5.10pm AEDT)
Mineral Resources Park, WA
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Last Time They Met
Monday’s match will mark the first time the Cats and Eagles have faced off since the latter entered the NAB AFL Women’s Competition in 2020.
Cats to Keep Your Eye On
Julia Crockett-Grills was the people’s choice as the Round 6 Fan MVP, presented by VIVA Energy, after a game of grit and determination against the Blues. Crockett-Grills finished with 13 disposals, four clearances, four tackles and three inside 50s last week, and made her presence felt.
Sophie Van De Heuvel has been a consistent performer this season, and against Carlton had a career-high 17 disposals and two clearances, as well as laying three tackles and gaining 313 metres for the Cats.
The Key Points
New opponent, new venue
Monday will mark the first time the Cats have played the Eagles in the AFLW, and with that the first time they have played at Mineral Resources Park. There will be some sounding out between the two teams, particularly early in the clash, but if the Cats can bring the same attitude and work rate they showed against Carlton, they’ll be in good stead.
The missing piece
The Cats saw a huge increase in their disposal efficiency inside 50 against the Blues. After many weeks in the 20s, against the Blues they had an efficiency of 56.3 per cent, raising their season average to 31.8 per cent. They had the same number of inside 50s (32) as the Blues, but where the home side capitalised on 10 of their 14 scoring shots, chances went begging for the Cats with just four majors from 11 scoring shots.
But with the rest of the pieces lining up, the Cats will be hoping they can make the most of their opportunities and make a bigger impact on the scoreboard against the Eagles.
Pressure Returns
After not quite hitting the mark against the Tigers a fortnight ago, the Cats’ tackling pressure was back up against the Blues. Their determination was obvious from the first bounce, and they laid 55 tackles for the game – a touch above their season average of 53.3. Among those, nine were laid inside their forward 50 – a sharp increase from the week prior.
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 Fox Footy, and can also be streamed on Kayo with a subscription, as well as womens.afl and the official AFLW App.
Follow the @catswomens on Twitter and Instagram for updates throughout the game.
