GEELONG isn’t shying away from the importance of Thursday night’s blockbuster clash with Melbourne, which could see the Cats claim top spot with a win.
After last Saturday’s 112-point win over North Melbourne garnered a jump in percentage from 125.6 to 135.6, a victory over the Demons, depending on the margin, could see them leapfrog the first-placed reigning premier.
However, a loss could see the Cats drop to fourth and be level on points with Carlton and Collingwood, who occupy fifth and sixth, respectively.
“It’s got a kind of finals smell to it, this game,” veteran Zach Tuohy said.
“And this is why you play; to be playing against the best teams in games that have or could have significant ramifications.
“(It’s not) quite knockout, but we are playing the reigning premiers, and probably the best team in the comp.
“There’s a fair bit on the line.”
Melbourne has won the past two meetings with Geelong in differing circumstances.
The Demons snatched last year’s minor premiership with a goal after the siren from Max Gawn in Round 23 before handing the Cats an 86-point hiding in the preliminary final at Optus Stadium.
However, Tuohy says aside from the disappointment of missing a grand final berth, that result won’t impact what happens in this week’s contest.
“I think it gets overplayed, the knock-on effects from those big games,” he said.
“Statistically, you lose more of those big games than you win because if it was the other way around, you’d be reigning premiers every year.
“Every team has lost those big games, and it doesn’t really tend to play much of a part the following season.”
Tuohy said Melbourne is still the benchmark despite suffering consecutive losses to Fremantle, Sydney and Collingwood before its mid-season break.
After seeing off the Brisbane Lions by 64 points in Round 15, the Demons had to work hard to overcome Adelaide by 29-points on Saturday.
“It’s ridiculous to suggest they’re not (the team to beat),” Tuohy said.
“If anybody thought they were just going to walk through the whole season unbeaten, they obviously haven’t watched footy for the last 150 years – that’s not how the game works.
“The fact that they’ve dropped a couple of games says nothing about the calibre of team they are,
“They’re still the benchmark, and I suspect we’re probably going to be underdogs this week, and justifiably so, they’re reigning premiers.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
