GEELONG'S charge to a premiership got the tick of approval from the most unusual of places on Saturday night.
Just after half-time of the Cats' 60-point win over Gold Coast, opposing coaches Stuart Dew and Chris Scott crossed paths and compared notes on Geelong's form.
"There's a toilet out of the back of the coach's box and Chris Scott and I were actually next to each other having a chat about it," Dew shared post-match.
"I just said: "you guys are in pretty good shape", and he sort of just agreed, which is fair enough given what was going on.
"Not often that happens. We had a bit of a laugh about it, but it's fair to say they're a well-oiled machine."
The only hiccup in the victory at Metricon Stadium was an adductor injury to ruckman Rhys Stanley, who was subbed out early in the third quarter.
TOP SPOT SECURE Cats thrash Gold Coast to continue winning streak
Scott said it was "low grade", but likely enough to keep him out of the final round match against West Coast at GMHBA Stadium.
Gold Coast has its own injury worries with Sam Day (meniscus) and Izak Rankine (shoulder) both failing to finish the match, although Dew said his out-of-contract small forward was a chance to line up against North Melbourne next week.
With the minor premiership and two finals in Victoria now locked away, Scott said he's embracing what's to come.
Geelong won the premiership in his first year as coach in 2011, lost the Grand Final to Richmond in 2020 and have now locked in a ninth top-four finish during Scott's tenure.
SUNS v CATS Full match coverage and stats
He said they had done everything possible to give themselves a chance at another flag.
"It's just so exciting to be a part of it," Scott said.
"There's some anxiousness that comes with it.
"You've got two choices; you can fight that feeling and wish it wasn't happening, or you can live with it and embrace it because it's impossible to do great things in life without that anxiety being a fair bit of it.
"I can sit here now saying our wider team has set up this year brilliantly well to give us a chance.
LITTLE MASTER CLASS Ablett keen to work with rising Sun
"It doesn't guarantee us anything, but if it doesn't work out for us, we won't sit back and say we didn't give ourselves the best chance.
"For me it's a privilege, it's a privilege to feel that pressure.
"I've been in footy a long time and those years where you get to this stage of the year and you're not in contention, I don't want to be there.
"I'd rather risk the disappointment of not quite getting there every single year - and it's a shocking feeling when we don't quite get there - but I'd take 100 of them to try and pull it off once."
Scott said he would continue to mix up his starting 22 after resting Isaac Smith and Mitch Duncan against the Suns.
"We're really optimistic we can get better," he said.
"It's just a great position to be in where you feel a bit of the tension, we're embracing the pressure that's going to come our way.
"I'd much rather be in the arena with a chance than in a much more comfortable spot sitting in the back rows watching everyone else. More comfortable, but not as exhilarating."