Chris Scott says his Geelong team is yet to feel like it's on top of its game despite denying West Coast a goal after quarter-time on Saturday night, but is confident the Cats will know exactly where they stand after meeting Hawthorn in yet another massive Easter Monday clash.
Geelong kicked the last 12 goals of the game against the undermanned Eagles, led magnificently by captain Joel Selwood, and while Scott insisted it was difficult to "get a read on" the quality of the performance, he was in no doubt the latest instalment in modern football's greatest rivalry would clear that up.
"Hopefully it continues forever, but we know that's not the way it works," he said of the hype around Geelong-Hawthorn games that stretches back to when he was a Hawks supporter as a boy.
"We look forward to it. Our guys love playing the best on the big stage. They (Hawthorn) won by 100 up on the Gold Coast tonight, they're a pretty good team.
"It will be a good test for our guys. We don't feel like we're completely on top of our game but we'll soon find out."
Scott praised the continued development of young Cats, including Cam Guthrie and George Horlin-Smith, who had a big impact. "Our recruiters have done a magnificent job getting those guys into the club, our development academy do a great job with those guys.
"We're still lucky that we've got them - their approach to their footy and their commitment to what we're trying to do means they should be the ones individually that take the credit rather than the footy club."
The Cats will sweat on Andrew Mackie's availability for the Hawthorn game after the running defender was subbed out in the third quarter in what Scott was was a precautionary measure, but admitted was sparked by hamstring tightness.
"We're hopeful we got it early enough, but there was something there, there was reason enough to sub him off. I'm told it's minor, but what that means I'm not too sure."
The coach was amused by Steve Johnson's eccentric night, which featured 37 possessions and several clangers by foot. "That's the way he plays a little bit, and we embrace it to an extent. You can't try the things that he tries and pull off the things he pulls off without mucking a few up."
He described Selwood's performance as "outstanding", intimating that he would have rated his captain best afield if required to give votes.
Eagles coach Adam Simpson described his first loss as "a difficult game" in which his young team - which was missing six players from the team that defeated St Kilda in round three - was given a valuable education.
"It was a difficult night, but we learnt so much. They're a top-four side, we had a young crew over," Simpson said. "I don't think we won one stat. It all starts around winning the ball, can't blame our forwards, can't blame our defenders or our mids – we were undersized and bullied."
Simpson denied ruckman Nic Naitanui, who was also subbed off in the third quarter, had suffered a calf injury, and expected him to be fit to meet Port Adelaide next weekend. "We just subbed him off halfway through the third, he was a little tight but we didn't see any reason to keep him out there."
