If the Southern Cats are expecting an easy match against the Goulburn Swans this Saturday, they are in for a rude shock.
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This weekend's clash is the last game of the regular season for both sides. As the Swans, who have struggled in 2021, are currently ranked tenth, they cannot make finals and know they have nothing to lose against the Cats.
"We might be able to jump them early if we're switched on, and try to take it to them," Goulburn coach, Simon Treloar, said.
"We can cause a bit of an upset and have a bit of fun out there one last time. We've got nothing to do for the rest of the year, so we may as well go out there and give it a red-hot crack.
"If you get a roll-on in your last game, I've seen lots of teams cause upsets in the last round."
Though Treloar knows an underdog win is unlikely - the Cats are ranked fourth on the ladder and won the competition in 2018 - the Swans are also famous for playing above their ranking at Goodhew Park.
The biggest issue in recent weeks for Goulburn has been a lack of matches. Due to poor weather and concerns around COVID-19, four of the Swans' last six games have been called off, including their last three home games.
This, Treloar said, has made it difficult for Goulburn to build any momentum late in the season.
"It's definitely been frustrating that we haven't played a lot of footy," he said.
"It's still been a lot of fun around the club, but it's been very hard to keep the skills up to the same standard and keep pushing forward. But the boys have done pretty well."
As one of the youngest and most inexperienced sides in the competition, the Swans have improved greatly this year in terms of their skill and football aptitude.
The development of the team has been one of the most pleasing aspects of the season for Treloar, alongside the camaraderie shown throughout the club.
"I'm really happy with how far they've come," he said.
"From a bunch of boys who seemed pretty nervous in the first couple of weeks, they've built confidence. We're obviously not quite there yet, but we've had a really good year off the field and grown some mateship which has been awesome to see.
"If they playing together over the next couple of years, the skills will come and they'll turn into a really good team together."
But before they can look ahead to next season, the Swans will focus on the Cats this Saturday, who Treloar expects to get off to a fast start.
"They always show up, and come out pretty red-hot," he said.
"They've got a lot to prove this year, they didn't go as well as they would've liked last year. If they can set themselves up this weekend, they'll be a strong contender for the flag."
Goulburn will take on the Southern Cats at Goodhew Park from noon on Saturday, August 14.
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