Cats shift focus to Essendon pre-season encounter

GEELONG assistant coach James Rahilly says the team’s mindset will be closer to a home and away game when the Cats meet Essendon in their first and only pre-season match tomorrow (Friday, March 1).

Rahilly spoke with the media following the club’s match simulation with Carlton last week, saying the Cats would have a smaller player pool today, a fortnight before the club’s season opener against the Saints.

“I don’t know our complete format but there would definitely be a lot less on the bench,” Rahilly said at the time.

“It will be probably a lot more like a Round 1 clash as we get ready for St Kilda.”

Geelong’s pre-season outing today at GMHBA Stadium is the side’s only pre-season contest before the start of the 2024 AFL season on March 16.

All AFL Community Series matches will have four quarters of 20 mins plus time on (the same as the AFL Premiership Season), squads of 30 players, eight interchange and four emergencies.

There will be at least four players on the interchange bench during the match at any time, with no interchange cap.

Geelong impressed against the Blues, winning the encounter 10.13 (73) to 8.8 (56), despite the sweltering conditions and an early injury to Cam Guthrie, who went down just seconds into the hit-out with what has now been confirmed as a quadricep tendon injury.

He is likely to miss the next eight to 10 weeks.

A handful of youngsters got substantial runs against Carlton including Tanner Bruhn, Jhye Clark, Connor O’Sullivan, Shannon Neale, and Jack Bowes, while marquee players such as Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Stewart, and Tom Hawkins returned to competitive action for the first time this year.

Rahilly said Dangerfield was looking good coming into the 2024 season.

“He’s an interesting one, Paddy, because he doesn’t seem to look much older.

“I think you’d have to ask him, but I’ve heard that it’s his best preseason he’s had for a long time.

“He’s good around the ball but we’re able to chuck him deep and obviously, he’s pretty dangerous ahead of the ball.”

Tickets to this afternoon’s match between Geelong and Essendon are available HERE.

All adult tickets are $20 and all concession tickets are $15, while entry is free for children aged 14 and below.

The opening bounce will take place at 5.10pm.