Malthouse says Cats won’t make eight

Former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse believes his old nemesis Geelong won’t make the AFL finals this season.

Geelong are struggling for a top eight foothold after a comprehensive 31-point loss to Malthouse’s old club at the MCG on Saturday night.

With a tricky run home involving matches against Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Friday, then top four contenders Adelaide, Hawthorn and West Coast to follow, Malthouse isn’t convinced the premiers will make this year’s finals.

“They will win games, but I don’t think they’ll win enough games to make the eight,” Malthouse told the Seven Network’s AFL Game Day.

Malthouse believes North Melbourne and Fremantle – both winners at the weekend – are realistic chances to make the eight and perhaps tip out the Cats.

Geelong, who are blooding young players as they maintain their push for the eight, were given a clear indication of how much their trajectory and Collingwood’s have swung since the Cats’ grand final win over Malthouse’s Magpies 10 months ago.

But Geelong coach Chris Scott says if the Cats can put together a four-quarter effort, the results and their ladder position will take care of themselves.

“We think the way we try to play is pretty solid. Unfortunately, it’s working okay for the last three quarters and pretty poorly for the first quarter,” Scott said.

“In terms of four to six weeks (ahead), in terms of finals, we just try to win next week. That’s all we can do.

“You don’t go into games thinking `if we lose tonight, it’s going to be really tough’.

“We just do our very best in every single game we play.”

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