The prime mover

Josh Kennedy. Shaken – literally – against Greater Western Sydney in week one of the finals, Kennedy was all the things he usually is in last weekend's win over Adelaide. Tough. Strong. Big-hearted. Persistent. Forceful. With Luke Parker, Kieren Jack, Luke Parker and Tom Mitchell by his side Kennedy is one part of an impossible to budge team, and a group that will make Geelong work really, really hard to get their hands on the ball before even starting to think about anything else. His 42-possession game against the Crows included 10 clearances and four tackles. A goal was the one thing missing but that doesn't matter; the Sydney midfielders fill in each other's gaps and are always there for each other.

His lieutenant

Take your pick. There's Parker, who laid 12 tackles against the Crows. There's Hannebery, who gets them moving. There's Jack, who kicked three goals the last time these teams played. But Mitchell is the one that even bigger things could be asked of. It was he who dulled the influence of Patrick Dangerfield back in round 16, restricting him to 15 touches in the final three quarters after his dominant 18-possession first term, while shooting off 24 handballs of his own. It was after this match that the Cats' recruit described his new side's form as mediocre.The form of attention Sydney pay him will be fascinating, but Mitchell's ability to again play with such an unrelenting dual focus could give his teammates crucial space to do the things they need to do.

The X-man

Lance Franklin didn't need to do enormous things the last time these sides met. The Swans scored heavily via their midfield and backlines that night, with Jack, Parker, Kennedy, Zak Jones, Jake Lloyd and Callum Mills scoring seven of their 15 goals. Buddy scored one in a 15-possession, seven-mark game but will be right there waiting should the Sydney midfielders get on top and start sending quick kicks his way. Geelong have plenty of options to cover him should Plan A not work. He is the last player they want to get on a roll, not simply for the damage he could do but because of the other, smaller forwards he could help bring into the game.

The lifter

Dane Rampe played the game of his life in round 16. The work of defenders is often not fully recognised but he was best on the ground. It was as if he was playing the game three or four seconds ahead of Geelong, he grabbed so many intercept marks. He – together with Nick Smith, Heath Grundy, Aliir Aliir, Jarrad McVeigh and Jones – were together able to a) stop Geelong from scoring and b) get the ball moving quickly and neatly their team's way. As a team within a team, they work as well together as their midfield. Rampe barely made a mistake – he used the ball at 91% efficiency – and if the Cats don't find a way to keep him occupied he could again make their heads spin.

Josh Kennedy's 42-possession game against the Crows included 10 clearances and four tackles. Credit:Ryan Pierse

The change up

The Sydney midfield is not exactly an easy one to force your way into, meaning Isaac Heeney has had to take his first AFL steps as a (more than capable) half-forward. It was only a matter of time before he moved into the midfield, and against Adelaide we saw why: playing off a wing he drove as much as anyone, gathering 32 possessions in his most influential match yet. Heeney is an instinctive ball-hunter who plays with courage, doesn't mind being knocked around, takes the game forward and offers a point of difference with his ability to interrupt play with his overhead marking. He wasn't there the last time the Swans and Cats played; the match came during the brief mid-season flat patch he has bounced back from, but is one more for Geelong to keep watch on no matter which part of the ground he plays in.