CATS PURRING AT RIGHT TIME

LAURENCE ROSEN

Can you hear that? It’s the sound of the reigning premiers Geelong finding its feet just as the pointy end of the season approaches.

Two-time premiership coach Chris Scott has continued to tell the football world throughout the club’s slow start to the season that he was comfortable with where his side was at, despite spending most of the season outside the top eight.

After their 77-point rout of Essendon last Saturday night, the Cats have rocketed up to fifth spot and are now well-placed heading into the final six games of the season.

Scott said their performance against the Bombers was the best of

Round 19 Milestones

COACH – CLUB LEADERBOARDS

CHRIS SCOTT

GEELONG

Will coach Geelong for the 304th time, equalling the club record held by Reg Hickey.

200 GAMES

TAYLOR ADAMS

COLLINGWOOD/GWS

CRAIG FLEER

FIELD UMPIRE

150 GAMES

ED LANGDON

MELBOURNE/ FREMANTLE

100 GAMES

TOM ATKINS

GEELONG

ALEX KEATH

W. BULLDOGS/ ADELAIDE

HARRY PERRYMAN

GWS GIANTS

ED RICHARDS

WESTERN BULLDOGS

CAMERON ZURHAAR

NORTH MELBOURNE

200 GAMES – CLUB

JACK CRISP the season, praising his list’s depth as the injury cloud which has dogged them most of this year begins to clear.

“I think we’re in general getting closer to our best footy,” Scott said after the game.

“Even from a personnel perspective, we were confident going into this week that even though (Esava) Ratugolea and (Zach) Tuohy were managed out of the team, they were being replaced by Isaac Smith and Jeremy Cameron.

“We haven’t had that capacity much, if at all, this year. I think that alone is a sign we’re getting back to the position we’d like to be.

“The first quarter was dominant obviously but just generally it feels like we’re getting close to our best footy which we’re pretty confident is going to be hard to beat.”

Things are about to become very real for the Cats as they eye becoming back-to-back premiers, with key clashes against Port Adelaide (round 21) and Collingwood (round 22) to come soon.

But before then, all eyes will be on the Gabba in the twilight on Saturday as they travel north to face Brisbane in what is now the toughest trip in football.

Geelong will still be outsiders for this game, but if it can somehow pull off an unlikely victory in front of an expected sold out Gabba, it opens all manner of possibilities with finals just seven weeks away.

COLLINGWOOD

Has not missed a game since joining the club ahead of the 2015 season.

TEAMMATES –

CLUB

Leaderboards

TRENT COTCHIN & JACK RIEWOLDT

RICHMOND

Set to play their 290th game together, taking the outright club record from Kevin Bartlett and Francis Bourke (289 games).