WHERE AND WHEN: Etihad Stadium, Friday 20 May, 7.40pm
HEAD TO HEAD: Carlton 116 wins, Geelong 92 wins, two draws
LAST TIME: Geelong 18.13 (121) d Carlton 12.7 (79), round 21, 2010 at Etihad Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
FORM: Carlton: DWWWB Geelong: WWBWW
SUMMARY
Chris Scott has Johnny Leonard in his sights.
Johnny who? He's the former South Melbourne coach who led the Swans to 10 straight wins in his first 10 games in charge, back in 1932.
A victory to Geelong on Friday night will take Scott's unbeaten debut year streak to eight, and within a good drop punt of Leonard's record.
The Brisbane Lions dual premiership player has his Cats playing super football, and their three-point win over Collingwood on the Friday night stage last week established them firmly as a flag contender.
Coming off a bye last round, Carlton will get a similar credibility boost if it can pull off an upset here.
If they do, it will be the first time the Blues have beaten Geelong at Etihad Stadium, with the previous eight attempts all losses - seven of those by more than 40 points.
Brett Ratten's men have had strong wins over Sydney and St Kilda in their past two outings, but got the wobbles for a little while in both games.
With a complete four-quarter effort, they're capable of challenging the top-of-the-ladder Cats.
QUESTION MARKS
Is Carlton a top four team? Despite their impressive start to the year, the Blues still have their doubters. They'll be silenced with a big win in this one.
Did Allen Christensen give goalkicking lessons at Skilled Stadium this week? The Cats probably should have beaten Collingwood by more, but dreadful kicking for goal from some experienced heads kept the 'Pies in the contest. No such troubles for fifth-gamer Christensen, who calmly slotted a set shot from 45m late in the third quarter that got momentum going his team's way.
Who gets Chris Judd? Having dominated against Sydney, the Blues skipper was well held by Sam Gilbert in the first half against the Saints before having a huge influence once Gilbert moved to defence. With Cats captain Cameron Ling in doubt, no obvious run-with options present themselves. Scott may just back his midfield to win a shootout.
PREDICTION
Geelong by 20 points
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Andrew Carrazzo (MID/DEF, $358,500) has been in good touch for the Blues, averaging just over 94 this year and 108 in his past four matches. He also has a reasonably healthy career average of 87 against Geelong. In a year where consistently high-scoring defenders have been hard to find, he's a reliable option.
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The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
