GEELONG has recorded two victories over Melbourne this season by a combined total of just five points.
The round one match-up was decided in the final 10 seconds of the game when Max Gawn missed a set shot in the final minute that would have handed the Demons victory.
In round 18, Cats defender Zach Tuohy, who had been shifted forward in the last quarter of the match, kicked a clutch set shot after the siren to complete a pulsating comeback win.
Despite coming away empty-handed from both clashes, the Demons learned some valuable lessons, in particular about how to handle the pressure moments in tight games.
MEGA-PREVIEW Melbourne v Geelong
Melbourne is confident those learnings will assist its players if they are faced with a similar situation again.
With that in mind, here is AFL.com.au's look at how things might play out between the Demons and the Cats on Friday night at the MCG.
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Melbourne
How they play
The Demons' game style is slanted to winning the ball inside the contest and with a focus on attack. Melbourne's contested possession differential was +17.7 per game in 2018, the second-highest ever recorded across a season (behind West Coast in 2006) according to Champion Data. Max Gawn's influence at centre bounces is crucial to how Melbourne control the flow of the game, as its advantage in this area allows the team to dominate field position.
Attack
Melbourne is the highest-scoring team in the competition, averaging 104.5 points per game. The Demons spent, on average, 10 more minutes with the ball in their forward half than their opposition, a differential that ranked No.1 in the competition and the best recorded since Port Adelaide in 2014. Melbourne averaged a competition-high 60.7 inside 50s per game in 2018 and was ranked first in the AFL for points from clearances and second for points from intercepts. The amount of players who can float through the forward line is another key strength of Melbourne's team.
Defence
The Demons are prone to allowing the opposition to score too heavily as they play an aggressive form of defence that sees their defenders march up the ground with the aim of preventing the opposition from getting the ball in their attacking half. When it doesn't work, Melbourne can leak goals out the back of their zone. First-year midfielder Bayley Fritsch often floats back and plays behind the ball after starting in a wing role, while the Demons have also made a structural change in recent weeks by having Max Gawn push behind the football more to help protect their inexperienced defence.
Ball movement
A lot of what Melbourne does starts in the middle of the ground, with Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw, James Harmes and Nathan Jones crucial to winning the ball at the source. The Demons have a focus on 'changing lanes' when moving the ball forward, that is switching the ball into different parts of the ground and allowing them to shift the defence. At times this year, they have been inefficient going inside 50 so limiting their scoring opportunities from good positions will be crucial.
How to beat them
Curbing Gawn's impact should be at the top of Geelong's agenda. The big ruckman is dominant in the centre square and around the ground, ranked No.1 in the AFL for hit-outs to advantage. If he is able to take contested marks around the ground and dictate terms at stoppages the Demons will be tough to stop. If teams can punish Melbourne on turnovers, Simon Goodwin's side has been shown to give up plenty of points in quick succession, for example in the round 21 clash with Sydney when it gave up six goals in 16 minutes in the second term.
Geelong
How they play
Geelong was the stingiest team in the competition, conceding an AFL-low 70.6 points per game in the home and away season. The Cats are ranked No.1 in the AFL for time in possession (+2.45 mins per game) and generally tend to be patient with their attacking forays. They have made a few tweaks in the second half of the season with more of a focus of playing through the middle of the ground.
Attack
Tom Hawkins is the main man in attack for the Cats, kicking 58 goals for the season, and the Cats will do their best to isolate him in one-on-one contests with Sam Frost or Oscar McDonald. Hawkins is very skilled at nudging his opponent off the line of the ball and marking the ball full-chested on the lead. Scott Selwood spent 99 per cent of his time up forward in rounds 22 and 23, as the Cats searched for a disciplined player to apply much-needed forward pressure in attack.
Defence
Geelong generally tries to set up with an extra player behind the football, aiming to control the depth of opposition inside 50 entries and allow the likes of Mark Blicavs and All Australian backman Tom Stewart to peel off their opponents and impact the wayward footy in the air. Defending the wider grounds – such as the MCG (where the Cats have a 2-record this year) – has been an issue for Geelong in recent seasons and they will have to get their structures right in finals.
Ball movement
The game against the Tigers in round 20 was the prime example, but Geelong has shown it is more prepared to take the game on through the corridor in the second half of the year. Between rounds 15 and 23 (post-Geelong's bye in round 14), the Cats have used the corridor 26.6 per cent of the time as they rebound from their defensive 50 (ranked No.1 in the AFL).
How to beat them
The major question mark on Geelong is whether it can bring its consistent, efficient defence from the narrow GMHBA Stadium to other, wider venues such as the MCG. Hawthorn and Richmond have twice exposed the Cats' inability to defend the width of the ground at the 'G this season, spreading Geelong's team defence and not allowing them to organise themselves down back. Winning the midfield battle, especially with fourth-gamer Ryan Abbott charged with ruck responsibilities, will also be key.
