Gryan Miers is the first to admit his form mirrored that of Geelong’s in the weeks leading up to last week’s bye.
The small forward was being discussed as a first-time All-Australia selection as the Cats exploded to a 7-0 start to the season.
Miers averaged 22 disposals, five inside 50s and three clearances in the opening seven rounds.
Those numbers fell to 19 disposals, three inside 50s and just under two clearances in Geelong’s 1-5 run following the win over Carlton.
In the three rounds before the bye, his average dropped 15 to disposals, two inside 50s and one clearance.
“The last three weeks, I wasn’t very proud of my performances … and I think the team will be saying that as a holistic approach, too,” Miers said.
“But, there’s always compounding effects in footy; if I’m not at my best and the team’s not at their best and vice versa.
“We all just want to get connected and get on the same wavelength for the next ten weeks and get it right.”
Miers says that after a short break in Tasmania, he’s returned refreshed for the run to a hoped-for return to finals for Geelong.
“I did see a little bit of fatigue in the group and energy lapse in the latter part of the games – especially that Sydney game,” he said.
“It was a really important time for us to get refreshed and rejuvenate for the second half of the year, and I definitely feel that way.
“I’m definitely a better version of myself than I was two weeks ago.”
Miers is confident Geelong can recapture the form that gave the club its best start to a season since 2013, starting with a second meeting with the Blues in eight weeks on Friday night.
It begins a challenging five-week run that includes MCG meetings with Essendon and Collingwood and Kardinia Park clashes against Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs.
“It can change so quickly,” Miers said. “As we saw, seven weeks of near-perfect footy in terms of wins and losses.
“And then a flick of the switch and we lose five of the next six.
“So, it can change really quickly one way or the other.
“I know that if we stay true to our process that it can flick back the other way.
“And I’m very confident it can happen with this group.”
Miers could find himself being matched up by Alex Cincotta on Friday night.
The former Newtown & Chilwell star has become an important part of Carlton’s climb up the ladder from eighth to second with four wins in the five rounds before its bye last weekend.
Miers and Cincotta have crossed paths on the field just once – Miers’ Geelong league debut for Grovedale in 2016.
However, the then 17-year-old wasn’t paying too much attention to who his opponents were.
“I was very young and raw then and didn’t know too many names in the league,” Miers said.
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