Geelong recorded its 12th consecutive win of the season when it held off a determined Fremantle at Subiaco Oval by 19 points on Sunday.
While the football world is salivating at the prospect of two unbeaten sides clashing in round 14, Kelly says the Cats are looking no further forward than next Sunday’s clash against Port Adelaide.
“I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but the fact is we take our footy one week at a time, and that’s what works for us,” Kelly said.
“Seriously, as a group we haven’t even spoken about the whole St Kilda thing at all. Some of the guys may have thought about it individually, but as a group we’re just focused on improving every week and building toward the finals.”
Kelly said the more immediate concern was ensuring he and his teammates recover after Geelong’s second trip to Subiaco Oval in a fortnight.
“There’s no doubt the trip west does take a bit out of you even though we’ve had the week off in between; just how much we’ll know in the next few days, I guess,” he said.
“The boys were tired when we got back last time, and probably over the next few days you realise it’s taking a little bit longer to recover than usual.
“The fitness staff will adjust the workload during the week, and we’ll focus on getting ourselves right for Port Adelaide.”
Kelly was dismissive of the fact that Geelong had struggled at times in its two most recent games against West Coast and Fremantle.
“We’re in the best position we can be at this stage of the season, and we’ve really given ourselves a big foundation to build on,” he said.
“In terms of form, I think we’ve still got a few things we can fix up. I don’t think we’re playing at our absolute best yet, but that’s what the next 10 weeks are for; to fine-tune a few things ready for finals.”
Fremantle was able to subdue several stars Cats on Sunday, but Kelly said players such as five-goal forward Shannon Byrnes had responded to the challenge.
“We have got some sensational players, but you can’t just sit back and rely on them to get 35 or 40 touches a week,” he said.
“We want to be a flexible side. When some of your stars are a bit down, it’s good to know there are guys who can step up to the plate and make a big contribution.”
With David Wojcinski, Mathew Stokes and Tom Harley all pushing for inclusion against Port Adelaide, Kelly acknowledged the selectors faced some tough decisions.
“It’s a funny thing with football - spots always open up,” he said.
“There’s someone who’s going to be a bit stiff to go out of the side at some stage, but that’s just the nature of the game. The strength of our side (is) that we can bring in those good players at any stage."
