Geelong’s commemoration of their drought-breaking 2007 AFL premiership will also serve as a stark reminder that their golden era is long-gone.
While the Cats will start favourites on Thursday night at Simonds Stadium, Port Adelaide will fancy their chances of spoiling the occasion.
It is a decade since the Cats demolished Port by a record 119 points in the grand final, ending Geelong’s 44-year premiership wilderness.
The Cats also won the 2009 flag under Mark Thompson and then the 2011 premiership in Chris Scott’s first season as a senior coach.
Thompson and most members of the 2007 premiership team will be honoured on Thursday night with a pre-game motorcade around the boundary.
But the inconsistent Cats of this season are far removed from the powerful combination that realised its potential a decade ago.
Geelong’s win at home over the Western Bulldogs last Friday night, featuring a club-record 134 tackles, came a week after they laid a pitiful 13 tackles in the first half of the loss to Essendon.
Likewise, Port are yet to build a convincing head of steam this season.
They lost at home to West Coast – a game they probably should have won – and then dismantled Gold Coast before last weekend’s post-Shanghai bye.
While the China win was impressive, the Suns were as woeful as Port were complete.
Captain Joel Selwood and Andrew Mackie are the only 2007 premiership players still playing at Geelong, while Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), Steve Johnson (Giants) and James Kelly (Essendon) have continued their outstanding AFL careers elsewhere.
Skipper Travis Boak and key position player Justin Westhoff put their nightmare grand final behind them at Port, with Shaun Burgoyne (Hawthorn) now a four-time premiership player and Danyle Pearce a Fremantle veteran.
The Cats made three changes, with utility Jordan Cunico to make his AFL debut.
Cam Guthrie and Darcy Lang also return as Tom Lonergan (rested), Nakia Cockatoo (hamstring) and Mark O’Connor go out of the side.
Port lost star utility Chad Wingard to a calf injury and replaced him with Aaron Young.