Geelong v Fremantle, GMHBA Stadium Saturday, March 15, 1.20pm AEDT

Last time: Geelong 10.13 (73) d Fremantle 9.8 (62), R22 2024

What it means

Geelong is all-too familiar with trying to put a preliminary final defeat behind it as it begins the following season but few will have been as hard to take as the loss in the dying stages to Brisbane last year. The Cats are well-built to climb the mountain again but a first step will be turning their home ground back into a fortress after six defeats at the venue in the past two seasons.

Fremantle has no excuses this season after narrowly missing the finals last year as it assembles a highly talented squad that should be able to entertain as much as compete with top-four hopefuls like Geelong. The Dockers can even turn to an unusually promising recent record on the Cats' home turf having won their past two matches at the venue.

Game shapers

Bailey Smith is finally closing in on a return to the elite level after tearing an ACL more than a year ago but will be doing so in fresh colours after a high-profile trade to Geelong. Smith will be eased into the Cats' engine room but in trademark fashion won't mind stepping into the spotlight even while taking time to return to his damaging best.

Josh Treacy enjoyed a breakout season in 2024 as he hit multiple career-highs and emerged as one of the most dominant key forwards in the competition. The 195cm Treacy tripled his previous season-best haul with 45 majors last year and will start this campaign taking on even more responsibility near goal with the absence of Sean Darcy likely forcing Luke Jackson to spend more time in the ruck.

Who gets the chocolates?