This is a do-or-die clash for 10th-placed St Kilda, as the Saints can't afford to lose another game if they are to make the finals. And although the Cats' loss to West Coast last weekend means they can no longer make the top four, this is a crucial clash for them as well. They are currently seventh on the ladder, but they need to finish fifth or sixth if they want to be sure of playing in Victoria in week one of the finals.
 
THE FOUR POINTS
GEELONG
1. Coming up after a road-trip to Perth is always tough. But it will be especially so for the Cats this week, as their clash with the Eagles was a ferocious affair. The positive for Geelong is that some of their most experienced players - Joel Corey (hamstring), Paul Chapman (calf) and James Kelly (groin) - missed the trip due to injuries. Corey, Chapman and Kelly are all rated as good chances to return to face the Saints.
 
2. The last two times Geelong and St Kilda have met on a Friday night the games have been decided by four points and one point respectively. Overall, there have been 31 games between these sides decided by less than a goal, with the Cats winning 21 and the Saints 10.

3. A decision is likely to be made on the fitness of star forward Tom Hawkins in the hours leading up to the game. Hawkins was carried from the field after suffering a serious bout of concussion when he fell heavily during the first quarter of last Friday night's clash with West Coast. With James Podsiadly struggling to have a big impact on games at the moment, the Cats desperately need Hawkins to pass the various concussion tests and be declared fit to line up.

4. Geelong's No. 1 ruckman, Trent West, has missed the past two games with a minor knee problem. Despite reports that he was set to be sidelined for the rest of the home and away season, West is likely to be selected to take on the Saints. West's return to fitness has come at a very good time, as the Cats could be without back-up ruckman Orren Stephenson this weekend after he suffered a hand injury against the Eagles.
 
ST KILDA
1. For the best part of a decade, Geelong and St Kilda have been each other's barometers and in many ways, the Cats are the sliding door club that the Saints so easily could have been. Both teams brought in huge talent in the drafts from 1999-2001, rising up the ladder together. They peaked in the mid-to late part of the last decade but while the Cats have won three flags, the Saints are yet to taste success. Geelong will finish higher than St Kilda this season but the Saints do match up well against their rivals and could challenge.?

2. Whatever the extent of Nick Riewoldt's knee injury, he is unlikely to play this week. At first glance, his departure is a devastating blow for his team but it may bring a certain level of unpredictability and force his teammates to lift around him, similarly to the Hawthorn side that has been without Lance Franklin for the past few weeks.?

3. Riewoldt's early exit in the win over Melbourne opened the door for Beau Wilkes to be the Saints' key target up forward. Wilkes was recruited as a potential defender who could also play as a third tall forward option. The mature-age recruit knew he had little time to make his mark at the Saints but an impressive last few weeks of 2012 could establish him as a long-term prospect.
 
4. Jason Blake's importance to the St Kilda team has always been underestimated and he shapes as a valuable acquisition if as expected he returns from injury for this game. Blake can hold down a key defensive role and provide support in the ruck - two areas the Saints do not have tremendous depth in. If he is back, the balance of the St Kilda team will improve drastically.
 
AFL.com.au prediction: Geelong by 11 points

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL