After two weeks on the sidelines, Ling returned to face West Coast on Saturday and performed well, booting two goals and collecting 25 possessions.
But while Friday night’s qualifying final against St Kilda will be a much tougher assignment, Ling has no doubt his body can handle the intensity.
“Footy’s always a hard game, it’s always a challenge,” he said on Monday.
“But personally, I feel really good. Talking to a couple of the other guys I’m close with, they feel fantastic and they’re keen to get into it.
“We all want to play our best footy on Friday night.”
Geelong was held goalless in the second half when it lost to St Kilda by 24 points back in round 13.
That night the Saints, who were missing star forward Nick Riewoldt, made the most of the wet and cold conditions to stifle the Cats’ usually free-flowing style of play.
Weather forecasters are predicting cloudy but dry conditions for this weekend’s game, which has pleased the Geelong brains trust.
“For the game in general it would be better if there was no rain, it was a fast track, lots of people turn up to watch and we can put on our best display of football,” Cats coach Mark Thompson said.
“We have to get in great physical shape, our state of mind has got to be fantastic, we’ve got to be up for the game, which I’ve got no doubt we are, and then it’s just going to come down to who’s got the legs at the end.
“It’ll be about who’s still standing, because I think it’s going to be a pretty tough game.”
