GEELONG is confident it can turn its form slump around against a full-strength Bulldogs outfit at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night, in a Round 12 blockbuster clash.The undermanned Cats are coming off three straight losses which included a disappointing seven-point loss on home turf to GWS in Round 11.
Gary Rohan comes back into the side for his first match since Round 7, but skipper Paddy Dangerfield remains a glaring omission in a Geelong team hit-hard by injury.
Head Coach Chris Scott said he isn’t daunted by the prospect of coming up against one of the games best midfields, despite the lack of several star players.
“We’d like to have those guys in and our midfield on paper doesn’t look as good without them,” Scott said.
“But can the guys we’re putting out there play good enough to beat one of the best midfields in the comp? I sincerely believe that.”
Scott said he isn’t too concerned with the Cats current position on the ladder, despite the upcoming fixture being an important game.
A loss this weekend would mean Geelong falls three wins behind the Dogs, another side also vying for a top four finish.
“What we’re focused on is trying to get to our best footy,” he said.
“We thought we were approaching it, even without our full personnel a month or so ago and a few things haven’t gone our way, we haven’t played well enough, we’ve made a few errors in the last month we’d like to have back but that’s AFL footy.
“We’ll make errors over the back end of the season, we’ll just try to mitigate them or at least make them educated errors.
“But as soon as you start playing the game of, ‘if it doesn’t work out this week we’re in trouble’, I just think that’s a mindset of a loser, and that’s not us.
“I just think in terms of what we’re going to look like at our best, and focusing on getting there, and then it’s for everyone to worry about us.”
Along with Rohan, Mitch Knevitt has also been named in the 22, after starting last week as the substitute before entering play in the third quarter to replace Esava Ratugolea.
Ratugolea (injured) and Brandan Parfitt (omitted) are the two outs.
Meanwhile the Bulldogs will welcome back star midfielder Adam Treloar and have dropped Lachie McNeil and Mitch Hannan.