Geelong's Jimmy Bartel has backed fellow midfielder Joel Selwood to rebound from last week's disappointing display when the reigning premiers face Fremantle on Friday night.
Much has been made of Selwood's poor game, particularly in the first half when he gathered just four possessions as the Cats were comprehensively outplayed by the Saints en route to eventually only losing by four points after a spirited second-half comeback.
But while Selwood did improve after the long break and coach Mark Thompson has already spoken since about how distraught he was about his performance, Bartel expects the 22-year-old to hit back hard in the cut-throat clash with the Dockers at the MCG.
"He's worked 10 times as hard (in training), I think they've (the coaches) probably had to pull the reins on him a little bit because he sets the bar extremely high," Bartel said at Skilled Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
"I think to his credit he's delivered week in, week out so I think that's why everyone's talking when he's finally shown up one bad game in his already brilliant career."
"He'll come out firing, I can't see him playing two in a row like that."
While the Cats find themselves in a position they haven't been in since 2005 when they last played in a semi-final, the devastating loss to eventual premiers the Swans at the SCG as Nick Davis cut loose in the last quarter, Bartel says the players remain excited by the challenge that lies ahead.
"Yeah of course there is, we're still playing finals football, that's the great positive, great motivating factor," he added.
"It's certainly exciting, if you can't get excited for finals footy I don't know what you've been doing."
"It is a different challenge from recent years, that's obvious, but one we're looking forward to."
"It's not tough at all, like I keep saying we're playing finals football, it shouldn't be tough to get yourself up and motivated."
Most judges expect Geelong to see off the inexperienced Dockers this weekend and set up a third preliminary final duel with Collingwood in four years the following weekend but Bartel won't be taking Mark Harvey's team lightly.
"Everyone else thinks we're a monty," Bartel said.
"(But) we know how good Freo have been all year and what a good side they are so it's no different for us preparing for another good side."
"(They're) a pretty good side that's playing some really good football."
"You saw how well they played against Hawthorn (last week)."
"(They're a) young, energetic side, led by some really good experienced players."
While he refuses, publicly at least, to look any further ahead than the Dockers, Bartel was to the point when asked if the players remain confident of claiming a third premiership in four seasons.
"Yep, yeah we're still confident (that we can win the flag)," he said.