Current ladder position: 1st (13 wins, one loss)

Geelong can only be pleased with its run to the finals from here. With double trips to AAMI Stadium and Subiaco already down, the Cats have just one interstate trip to come – Sydney in round 20 at ANZ Stadium. That road trip aside, the premiers have a charmed run into September with four games at Skilled Stadium – two in the coming weeks and then back-to-back home matches to round out the premiership season – with three games in Melbourne and one in Sin City in between.

The Cats will get to play their other two MCG games for the season in the upcoming eight rounds and will return to Telstra Dome for the fifth time this year when they play Richmond in round 18. And, to top off the pleasing two months in front of them, they play just three sides in the current top eight, as well as the present bottom three.

All year, footy supporters have been waiting with baited breath for round 17 when the premiers face the contenders in Hawthorn in what looms as a Friday night blockbuster at the MCG. Now, fans will be treated to a double hit of A-grade contests when, in the space of two weeks, the current top-of-the-table side takes on both the second and third-placed teams. There is also a tasty round 21 prospect with North Melbourne to return to Skilled Stadium for the first time since round five last year, which was when the Roos handed the Cats the loss that turned it all around.

No one needs to. With just one loss for the season, albeit a big one, the Cats are purring and are starting to look as ominous as they did last year with big wins in the past three weeks. The improving form of Brad Ottens, who has been back for five games now after overcoming a foot problem, will continue to strengthen the side given how important the big man was in the finals series last year.

"We've never come to this state and won by so much against a pretty classy opposition [Adelaide], so we're pretty pleased with that effort.

"It's a really hard job to play the Adelaide Crows here. It's a really hard place to play when the stadium's full of opposition supporters. To win by so much is outstanding.
"[But] of course we can [play better]. We didn't play the perfect game. And we haven't played it yet, so we'll continue to strive to seek perfection. We'll strive to be a better team." – Mark Thompson.