Sydney Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh says Geelong are back to their best, as he prepares to face the Cats in a personal milestone game this weekend.
Midfielder McVeigh, who made his debut in 2004, will play his 250th game for the Swans in Saturday's ANZ Stadium AFL clash.
He says the Swans and Cats have a healthy mutual respect forged over a long period of time.
McVeigh, who was raised on the NSW central coast and played junior footy for Sydney's Pennant Hills club, hasn't had a great deal of joy against Geelong in the past.
He has only finished on the winning side five times in 17 games.
One of those victories was a 110-point mauling at the SCG last year, though McVeigh pointed out the Cats went into the game coming off a couple of six-day breaks.
"It was a little bit different," McVeigh said on Wednesday.
"But we know what Geelong bring and how hard they are and what an amazing club they have been for such a long time.
"We saw last week they were back to their best."
McVeigh was referring to the Cats win over Collingwood, that kept them close to all the teams above them on the congested ladder bar early pacesetters Fremantle.
Down in 12th, Geelong are only one win off second spot and the fourth-placed Swans.
Although he'd like star forward Lance Franklin back among the goals on Saturday after a rare blank day last weekend, McVeigh stressed Franklin brought much more to Sydney than scoring strikepower.
"He did play really well anyway," McVeigh said, referring to Franklin's 22 disposals in the win over Melbourne.
"He played up the ground a little bit more and he's such a beautiful field kick, so it's nice having him kick into the forward line too.
"It would be nice to see him back on the scoreboard, but that's not what it's all about for him.
"His pressure week in, week out has been really impressive this year."
Now 30 and on contract until the end of 2016, McVeigh isn't thinking about how many more seasons he has left.
"My body feels fine, at the moment, I haven't really thought about that stuff, (I'm)just really enjoying my footy," McVeigh said.
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