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Geelong ran out the comfortably 66-point winners over the Essendon Bombers on Sunday afternoon.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Geelong 15.10.100
Essendon 4.10.34
With the race for the top four heating up, the Geelong Cats are out to send an ominous warning to their rivals when they host the Essendon Bombers at Etihad Stadium. Join The Roar from 3:20pm (AEST) for live scores and commentary.
The Cats have pounced back into title contention in 2016 and will be determined to close the gap on rivals Hawthorn and separate themselves from the rest of the pack.
Only four points separate second from eighth position, with any slip up proving costly at this stage of the season.
Geelong’s return to the top has come with a few bumps along the way, losing three matches this season to bottom eight sides.
However, the Cats have also enjoyed an impressive run against top-eight sides, having won eight out ten against these teams.
Their victory over the Bulldogs last week saw Rhys Stanley dominate the contest, kicking five goals, while Patrick Dangerfield carved up the disposals, racking up 33 possessions in Jimmy Bartel’s 300th game.
The Bombers have been valiant and resilient this season, proving they ae not to be taken lightly by playing some exciting football. Despite only achieving one victory, the Dons have exceeded the expectations of many, with performances that would excite fans for the future.
That said, Essendon had a match to forget last week, going down by 82 points to the Crows, although Joe Daniher continued to shine, kicking four goals.
Geelong have dominated the recent history between the two sides, winning six out of their last seven meetings, with Essendon last beating the CAts back in 2011, by four points.
When these two sides met earlier this year, Geelong prevailed by 30 points at the MCG. The Bombers stuck with the Cats throughout the match, trailing by only eight points at the final break, before Geelong flexed their muscle and ran away with the victory.
Both sides have a number of changes for this fixture. Captain Joel Selwood – who leads the league in clearances, averaging 7.3 per game – is Geelong’s biggest inclusion, with Josh Caddy, Lachie Henderson, Shane Kersten and Darcy Lang also returning.
Furthermore, Scott Selwood will make his long-awaited debut for the club, having joined his brother at the Cattery in pre-season.
For the Bombers, Kyle Langford, Orazio Fantasia, Will Hams and Sam Michael make way for James Kelly, Mitch Brown, Sam Grimley and Jackson Merrett. It is also a big week for James Polkinhorne, who plays his 100th match.
Rhys Stanley kicked a career-high five goals last week in an impressive individual performance, having seven score involvements and looming as a dangerous option in Geelong’s forward line.
Despite looking a one-sided affair on paper, the Bombers will use their previous encounter with the Cats as motivation to give their opponents a bit of trouble. Geelong, however, will not take this contest lightly, aiming to cement their spot inside the top four.
Prediction
Cats to gain a healthy percentage boost.
Geelong by 60.
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