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Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL Round 8 Tips - Angry Cats to claw the Kangas

Adam Cusworth

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Last updated: Thu 30 Apr 2026 11:05

Adam Cusworth 30 Apr 2026

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The game will be played at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, 2nd May, with the bounce at 4:35 PM (AEDT)
Which side will take win loss record to 5-3?
Preview, expert analysis, stats, team news & best bet

Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL Round 8 Tips

Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos, Round 8 2026 - Expert Prediction

Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos, Round 8 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Geelong Cats Form Analysis
North Melbourne Kangaroos Form Analysis
Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos Team List & News
Geelong Cats Team News
North Melbourne Kangaroos Team News
Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8 FAQ’s

Geelong will bounce back in a big way and claw the resurgent Kangaroos at their fortress of GMHBA Stadium.

Both sides come in with a 4-3 win-loss record with North Melbourne (6th) shading the Cats (9th) on the ladder with their superior percentage but don’t let the win-loss record fool you, or the shock 30-point loss that Geelong suffered to Port Adelaide last weekend.

The Cats will not overreact to a single poor performance and should take confidence is backed by their recent form, which included a dominantout of their form from a week prior, which saw them smash the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA.

Geelong’s strength remains their ability to control territory through system and structure, and at GMHBA Stadium, that typically translates into repeat inside 50s and scoreboard pressure. Against a North Melbourne side that is improving but still giving up high inside 50 numbers in losses, that looms as a decisive factor.

Bailey Smith and Max Holmes will find plenty of the ball, while Jeremy Cameron has kicked 16 in his last three and loves this match-up against North Melbourne.

While the Kangaroos pushed GWS in a tight contest last weekend and are clearly on the right trajectory, they are still letting key moments slip and conceding too many forward entries in losses. That is a dangerous combination against a Geelong side that thrives on capitalising when given repeat opportunities.

Take the Cats to cover the line with some familiar names in Smith and Cameron having a major influence.

Geelong have won their past 14 matches against North Melbourne by an average margin of 49 points

The Cats have won their past five at GMHBA Stadium against non-finalists from 2025 by an average of 62

Bailey Smith has had 43 disposals in each of his past two matches against North Melbourne

Jeremy Cameron.

Head to Head Stats

This reads ugly for North Melbourne with Geelong winning the past 14 matches between the two sides by an average margin of 49 points. The past three at GMHBA Stadium have been by an average of 83.

Notable player performances in recent head to heads have come from;

Jeremy Cameron (Cats)- 11 goals in the most recent meeting and 30 from his past five
Shannon Neale (Cats)- 8 goals from his past three against the Roos
Bailey Smith (Cats)- 43 disposals in two of his past three against the Kangaroos
Harry Sheezel (Roos)- has averaged 34 disposals in his past three against Geelong

Geelong Cats Form Analysis

Geelong come in with a 4-3 record and have handled a tough early draw well but will be rueing their performance against Port Adelaide last weekend when going down by 30 points. They were completely outplayed in a number of key statistical measures, including clearances (46-28) and inside 50s (58-35) and probably should have lost by more were it not for some inaccuracy in front of goal from the Power in the 13.17.95 to 10.5.65 scoreline.

Jeremy Cameron booted three goals to follow his 10 from a fortnight ago againt the Western Bulldogs. After a slow start that followed an interrupted pre-season, he has now booted 16 in his past three matches.

Bailey Smith had 30 disposals to extend his streak of 30+ games to six, while Max Holmes had 25 and has hit 25+ in every game this season.

Geelong’s key strength usually lies in a highly structured, system-driven game built around contest dominance and controlled ball movement. They have a proven ability to bounce back from losses, rarely dropping two on the trot with this last occurring early last season in some close games to St Kilda and Brisbane.

North Melbourne Kangaroos Form Analysis

North Melbourne have made their best start to a season since 2016 and sit at 4-3 but dropped their Round 7 match to the GWS Giants by seven. They have played just two finalists from 2025, with the other resulting in a 25-point loss to Brisbane.

The Kangaroos’ improvement in 2026 has been driven by their pressure and stoppage work, while they have a strong clearance game and led the Giants 17-9 in centre clearances last weekend. Tristan Xerri returned from suspension with 25 disposals and 25 hitouts, feeding the likes of Harr Sheezel (32 disposals).

Harry Sheezel has now hit 30+ in nine of his past nine matches. Nick Larkey booted four goals in the loss to the Giants, while Paul Curtis snagged two to back up his six-goal haul against Richmond a week prior. Larkey is averaging three goals per game in 2026, while Curtis sits at two. Cooper Trembath had a quiet match last weekend and went goal-less but has kicked 13 from seven, kicking 2+ in five.

Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos Team List & News

Geelong Cats Team News

Sam De Koning and Jake Kolodjashnij return, with Mark Blicavs injured and Jack Bowes managed.

North Melbourne Kangaroos Team News

Charlie Comben returns, replacing omitted defender Toby Pink.

Geelong	POS	North Melbourne
C. O’Sullivan, J. Henry, T. Stewart	B	A. Corr, G. Logue, C. Comben
S. De Koning, Z. Guthrie, J. Kolodjashnij	HB	C. McKercher, C. Daniel, L. Parker
M. O’Connor, B. Smith, O. Dempsey	C	J. Simpkin, F. O’Sullivan, D. Stephens
J. Cameron, S. Mannagh, B. Close	HF	P. Curtis, C. Trembath, C. Spargo
P. Dangerfield, S. Neale, J. Martin	F	C. Zurhaar, N. Larkey, J. Darling
M. Edwards, T. Atkins, M. Holmes	FOLL	T. Xerri, L. Davies-Uniacke, H. Sheezel
L. Humphries, O. Mullin, T. Bruhn, J. Worpel, O. Henry	I/C	L. Dovaston, G. Wardlaw, Z. Duursma, L. McDonald, T. Powell

Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8 FAQ’s

How to watch Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8?

You can watch the Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8?

To buy tickets to the Geelong Cats vs North Melbourne Kangaroos AFL 2026 Round 8 game check the AFL website or the official Geelong Cats site.

Verdict

Geelong Cats v North Melbourne Kangaroos

Cats to bounce back with Cameron and Smith in for a big game

Geelong -27.5

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