Cam Mooney: Easter Monday will show where Geelong really stand

If you’re judging Geelong off the first three weeks, you’re missing the point. This was never going to be a side that burst out of the blocks. The real question is whether they’re building the right way and I think they are.

They’re 2–1, and inside the four walls that’s exactly where you’d expect them to be.

The loss to Gold Coast wasn’t great, but that’s a trip that’s getting harder every year. They responded the right way against Fremantle and then did what good sides do against Adelaide. It wasn’t pretty, but they controlled the game and banked the win. That matters early in the year when you’re not flying yet.

I’ve been in teams like that. You come off a grand final, the pre-season is shorter, the intensity drops just a touch whether you like it or not, and it takes a few weeks to get your edge back. That’s where Geelong are right now.

So I’m not concerned. Not even close.

Where it gets interesting is Easter Monday.

That game has become more than just another fixture. I remember when it started back in 2010. We were 30 points down that day and came back to win. That’s where the streak against Hawthorn really took off and where the rivalry took another step.

And make no mistake, it was real.

We hated them and they hated us. It wasn’t theatre, it wasn’t for show. It came from losing a grand final in 2008 and carrying that edge into every game after that.

You can feel that stuff as a player. You know during the week it’s different. Training sharpens, meetings get a bit more pointed, and there’s a bit more feeling in everything you do.

That’s why Easter Monday still matters.

Hawthorn are coming again. They’re better than they’ve been for a few years and with Sam Mitchell coaching, there’s still that connection to the old battles. Chris Scott is still there for Geelong. The history hasn’t gone anywhere.

This one will tell us where Geelong really sit.

The other big watch is Patrick Dangerfield. At his age, with a couple of soft tissue issues already, this is where the club needs to be smart. I wouldn’t be rushing him back for Hawthorn, and I’d be just as cautious the following week at Gather Round against West Coast.

I’d be giving him four or five weeks if that’s what it takes.

I know what the temptation is. Big game, big stage, your captain wants to play. But you don’t win anything in April. You need him right in August and September. Once those injuries start creeping in at his age, they don’t just disappear.

And this is where the history with Hawthorn actually ties in. Dangerfield’s first game for Geelong came against the Hawks on Easter Monday in 2016. He had 43 disposals, 21 contested possessions and seven clearances. That tells you the level he can get to when he’s right. That’s why you don’t compromise him now.

Geelong’s draw actually gives them that luxury. Hawthorn on Easter Monday, then West Coast at Gather Round. They can manage him through that stretch and still get results. That’s what good clubs do. They think long term, not week to week.

Then you look ahead to the Western Bulldogs on a Friday night at GMHBA Stadium. That’s the one that jumps out for me. The Dogs are a serious side and that’s the type of game where you find out if your system stacks up against another contender.

That’s the block for Geelong now. Hawthorn, West Coast at Gather Round, then the Dogs.

If they come out of that in good shape, you know they’re right where they need to be.

So don’t overreact to the start. They’re not flying, but they don’t need to be.

The standard at Geelong has always been about building, not chasing early-season headlines. If they get Easter Monday right, you’ll see exactly what this group is about.

And if I’m the rest of the competition, I’m still very wary.

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