By Luke Voogt
The Cats will play for a home final in their last and yet another must-win game against Melbourne at Simonds Stadium on Saturday.
A win will secure their position in the top four but a big winning margin could clinch a top two spot and a home final.
With two interstate teams in the four, a home final could give the Cats the advantage they need to advance directly to the preliminary finals.
A loss could see them exit the top four and lose their finals second chance.
The game has extra significance for brave Cats defender Tom Lonergan who addressed the media on Wednesday 24 August.
It’s 10 years since Lonergan lost a kidney after a sickening on-field collision against Melbourne at Simonds Stadium in his seventh AFL game.
“The ball was over my head, I went back to mark it,” Lonergan said, recalling the incident.
“But the speed of the AFL … really caught up with me and it turned out to be not a very happy ending.”
Lonergan said the Cats could not afford to be inconsistent in the finals as they had been throughout the season.
“That’s the key to it – putting together four good quarters. We’ve got some good opposition this week which is good practice for that.”
But the game is not even the biggest event for Lonergan this weekend, with his wife Kim due to give birth to their first child on Saturday 27 August.
Lonergan said being in Geelong would give him “some breathing space” if the baby arrived unexpectedly around game day.
Defender Lachie Henderson’s absence will put pressure on Lonergan and Geelong’s backline against Melbourne’s talls including in-form ruckman Max Gawn who has often pushed forward this season.
Henderson underwent minor surgery on his right knee on Wednesday after scans on Tuesday revealed damage requiring an arthroscopy.
His absence will also deprive Chris Scott of an extra option up forward.
Scott threw Henderson and fellow defender Harry Taylor up forward in Geelong’s come-from-behind win against Richmond.
Henderson also started forward in the Cats’ win against Brisbane at the Gabba on Sunday, booting two goals in before he was injured in the final quarter.
“He’s been playing some fantastic football,” Lonergan said.
“We’ll miss him but I think like most teams one steps down and another steps up.”
Geelong’s general manager of football Steve Hocking said the pre-finals bye could help Henderson recover in time for the finals.
