Where and when: Adelaide Oval, Sunday, April 9, 3.20pm

TV: Delayed until 2pm on Ch7 in Perth, live on Fox Footy and streaming on Kayo

Last time we met: Geelong 19.17 (131) def. West Coast 7.4 (46) at GMHBA Stadium, round 23, 2022

Taking an understrength team to Geelong for a final round clash to end a rough season always spelled trouble and the Eagles were soundly beaten as the Cats tuned up for their run to the 2022 premiership. Playing his 200^th game in blue and gold, Jamie Cripps snared three majors, while young ruck Bailey Williams produced his best game for the club with 25 disposals and five clearances. Returning to face his former club, Tim Kelly had 28 touches and kicked a goal, while Tom Barrass tried hard to limit the influence of Cats spearhead Tom Hawkins (four goals) in the face of a flood of inside 50s against West Coast.

What it means for the Eagles: The effort of a youthful and inexperienced team couldn’t be faulted in the opening half against flag fancy Melbourne last round but the drop-off after the long break left a sour taste in a 63-point defeat. The Cats look to be back to their best after thumping Hawthorn, and while West Coast will be playing to win the team won’t be satisfied with anything less than a competitive four-quarter effort against the reigning premier.

The stat: Adelaide Oval will be the seventh venue West Coast has played against Geelong - including Kardinia Park, Subiaco Oval, the WACA, Waverley Park, the MCG and Optus Stadium.

The match-up: Elliot Yeo v Jeremy Cameron

Getting through three quarters in his first game since round 16 last year was a big tick for Yeo – who provided drive with his 12 disposals against Melbourne - and the Eagles star could continue playing across half-back as he builds his match fitness. That might mean he’s the man to match-up on Geelong dynamo Jeremy Cameron, arguably the best player in the competition, who is coming off a seven-goal rout of Hawthorn on Easter Monday. At 191cm and 91kg, Yeo would be giving away five centimetres and as many kilos to the big Cat – who has drilled 18.6 in four games and is averaging nearly 20 disposals - but the two-time John Worsfold medallist has the explosiveness and power to go with Cameron.

It’s a big week for: Tim Kelly

The silky midfielder has been in sensational form across the past three rounds – averaging nearly 34 disposals and a goal per game – during a stretch without Elliot Yeo in the engine room and minus skipper Luke Shuey against the Demons last round. West Coast is relying on Kelly to keep shouldering a heavy load and leading a youthful onball brigade against Geelong, while he would no doubt enjoy squaring the win-loss ledger at 2-2 against his former club.

Big call: Oscar Allen has been building every week since his return from a season out of the game and we’re backing him to equal his career-best haul of five goals on Sunday.

The West Coast Eagles were left to rue a second quarter fadeout in an otherwise spirited and competitive performance against Geelong, with the reigning premiers running out 47-point winners in the Gather Round clash on Sunday.

The Cats produced a dominant first half that sealed their second straight win, building a game-high 77-point lead early in the third quarter on the back of their tall forwards and a dominant midfield group. 

The undermanned Eagles showed plenty of spirit in the second half, however, cutting the margin to 40 points late in the game before the Cats prevailed 21.10 (136) to 13.11 (89).  

Twice West Coast went on goal-scoring runs in the second half, kicking five in a row during the third quarter and three in a row during the final term as its own key forwards worked into the match. 

Jake Waterman and Oscar Allen continued their encouraging starts to the season, both snaring four majors.

Waterman was among the best afield with 20 disposals and seven marks, while Allen has 14 goals in five games after missing all of last season.

The Cats were brilliant from the 15-minute mark of the first quarter until half-time, kicking 14 of the 15 goals kicked during that period, including 12 unanswered.

Through the second quarter they dominated every key indicator, including disposals (103-68), inside 50s (18-10), clearances (17-6), centre clearances (6-2) and contested possessions (38-26). 

Superstar forward Jeremy Cameron booted all four of his goals through the critical period of the game, while defender Esava Ratugolea (14 disposals and nine marks) excelled as a loose defender and set up the team with six intercept marks in the first term. 

It took first-year Eagle Reuben Ginbey to end the Cats' run of 12 goals, converting on the run from 40m to kick his first career goal in his fifth game. 

The Eagles were left with a mammoth task at half-time, however, trailing by 64 points and having conceded three goals directly out of the centre square, where they were losing the clearances 6-2. 

The response came in the third, led by the Eagles' tall forwards. Jack Darling and Oscar Allen both kicked two goals for the quarter as the team went on a five-goal run to win the term by five points. 

The midfielders started to get their hands dirty as well, with Tim Kelly leading the fight at the coalface and helping the Eagles cut the margin back to a more respectable 59 points at the final change. 

Little wins are what the decimated Eagles are after, and there were plenty to take away after also winning the final term by 12 points. 

Jamaine Jones (25 and eight inside 50s) produced another performance full of piercing midfield runs and rebound, while Kelly (22 and five clearances) bounced back after a quiet start opposed to Mark Blicavs. 

West Coast is now 1-4 with a clash against Port Adelaide back at Adelaide Oval to come next Saturday.

GEELONG                5.3     14.5     19.7     21.10 (136)
WEST COAST          2.3      3.7       9.8       13.11 (89)

GOALS 
Geelong: Hawkins 4, Close 4, Cameron 4, Henry 2, Blicavs 2, Tuohy, Stengle, Smith, Holmes, Bowes
West Coast: Waterman 4, Allen 4, Darling 2, Petruccelle, Petrevski-Seton, Ginbey

BEST 
Geelong: Dangerfield, Hawkins, Cameron, Ratugolea, Close, Stewart, Miers
West Coast: Waterman, Allen, Jones, Kelly, Duggan

INJURIES 
Geelong: Stengle (left wrist)
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES 
Geelong: Brandan Parfitt (replaced Tyson Stengle at half-time)
West Coast: Connor West (replaced Reuben Ginbey in third quarter)

Crowd: TBC at Adelaide Oval