GEELONG will get its first indication whether a focus on improving its attacking structure has paid off when it meets the Western Bulldogs in the two clubs only practice match of the AFLW pre-season on Saturday morning.
Despite making a preliminary final in their debut season in 2019, the Cats averaged just 20 points per game and were held to two goals or less on four occasions, including the loss to Adelaide that ended their season.
“We’ve worked really hard on improving our ball movement throughout the pre-season, and trying to get great clarity around the team about how we want to move the ball and how we want to do that,” coach Paul Hood said.
“We’ll find out as the season unfolds, but it’s been a significant focus, and we’re expecting to see an improvement.”
With Geelong not fixtured to play the Dogs this season, Hood said the Cats wouldn’t be holding anything back in the meeting at Whitten Oval.
“You just let it all go; you play to the best of your ability,” he said. “And in the practice match, what you do most is focus on your own team.
“Although the Dogs have got some fantastic players that have had really good AFLW careers so far, we’re not so worried about their game-style.
“We don’t play them in the home-and-away season. We’re really focusing on our game and making sure we execute the three phases as well as we can.
“Having said that, we’re delighted we’re playing the Bulldogs in the practice match because we know that they’re such a well-versed team, they’re well structured, and we’re going to get a tremendous challenge.”
Geelong will field four of its six draftees on Saturday, including the club’s first father-daughter draftee Millie Brown.
Hood says Brown is living up to the expectations that saw the Cats use their opening selection in last year’s AFLW Draft on the Mooroopna product.
“As a young person who has moved down to Geelong and moved away from home and reorganised her life and fit in with her teammates she has done an outstanding job,” Hood said.
“She’s got a tremendous platform to build on from here.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
