Geelong coach Chris Scott made the understatement of the season when asked about Friday night’s AFL blockbuster against Essendon.
“It’s going to be a challenge and I think we’re up for it,” he said.
Up for it? More like made for it.
Geelong and Essendon are the only unbeaten teams after six rounds and this is the fierce environment where the Cats thrive.
“They’re playing the best football in the competition at the moment – (Saturday) aside,” Scott said.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult.
“They’re defending well and they’ve always attacked well.”
The Cats showed their mettle again on Saturday night when they overcame a strong challenge from Richmond to end up winning easily by 44 points.
Down by 19 late in the second term, Geelong kicked four goals in the blink of an eye to lead by five points at the main break.
Midfielders Allan Christensen and Mathew Stokes were outstanding in the first half when the Cats were under intense pressure.
Stokes sparked the turnaround with an outstanding rover’s goal and a superb piece of play three minutes later in which he somehow set up Trent West for the second of the four-goal counter-punch.
“If there was a trigger, that was probably it,” Scott said.
But the Cats were always going to be tough to beat, given it was Corey Enright’s 250th match and the 200-game milestone for Steve Johnson.
There was a strong sense that this was a game the Geelong players simply would not let slip.
The esteem the pair are held in at Kardinia Park was emphasised when Enright kicked a booming goal late in the game.
Nearly every Geelong player ran to Enright and Scott was seen with a broad grin in the coach’s box.
Enright and Johnson were chaired from the ground and Scott later heaped praise on them.
“When we were a bit average inside the contest, Johnson was the one keeping us in it,” Scott said.
“I loved his game tonight.”
But Scott reserved his highest praise for Enright.
“You have to be a bit careful making outlandish statements this close to the finish of a game,” he said.
“But he’s probably the best small defender of our era.
“I rate him.”
Still, no one is perfect and Scott noted that Enright was unusually animated after kicking his first goal of the season.
“It’s a bit over the top, isn’t it,” Scott deadpanned.
