<p>Geelong begins its run home at its home ground as it welcomes Richmond to the Cattery.</p> <p>The Cats, fresh off the bye, didn’t lose their top-four spot last week. In the upcoming week, when all the top eight teams face teams from the bottom eight, the gap between the finals contenders and others will only grow.</p> <p>&nbsp;This means that among the top eight teams, the rest of the season becomes a tense race for positions... And the Cats have a great opportunity here as they prepare to host the lowly Tigers.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Tigers are fading quickly. After a promising and bright first half of the season, during which they secured wins when few expected them to, the Tiger train seems to be losing steam. Another heavy loss last week to the Crows at the MCG, which was expected given Adelaide’s strong form this year. Yet, despite the result, the spirit shown would keep Tigers fans hopeful throughout the year.</p> <p>As they begin the next two-month stretch, they will have to navigate the next five weeks without their spearhead, Tom Lynch. A frustrating first half boiled over into a moment of madness when he punched Crows defender Jordon Butts in the head, resulting in a five-week ban by the tribunal.&nbsp;</p> <p>So, how do the Tigers structure their forward line over the next month? especially during the weeks when Noah Balta isn’t available due to his court-mandated curfew, it will be interesting.</p> <p>What it will do is offer a glimpse into the future, with Tom Sims and Jonty Faull holding down key posts on their own.&nbsp;</p> <p>On the selection front, the Cats might use this week to introduce a couple of debutants, with Lennox Hoffman and Jacob Molier impressing in the VFL, while young inside midfielder George Stevens has been close to a senior debut for several weeks. Young midfielder Jhye Clark will be assessed as he passes concussion protocols, while Sam De Koning is still a few weeks away.&nbsp;</p> <p>At Richmond, they will lose Lynch to suspension, along with forward Mykelti Lefau, who injured his calf in his comeback game after an ACL injury. Number one pick Sam Lalor is available for selection and will come straight in after a hamstring injury.&nbsp;</p> <p>There will be a temptation to give a senior debut to boom draftee Taj Hotton after his second impressive performance in the VFL following an ACL injury, but they might wait another week. Another exciting update for the Tigers’ VFL team is that Josh Gibcus is set to make his return after a long recovery from his own ACL injury. He’s a young talent the club has invested heavily in, and they hope he gets a good run at it.&nbsp;</p> <p>For the latest team news, analysis, odds, and betting tips, check out our Cats vs Tigers prediction and preview below.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Geelong vs Richmond Predicted Teams</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Geelong Predicted Team List</h3> <p>B: Tom Stewart, Jack Henry, Mark O’Connor</p> <p>HB: Lawson Humphries, Mark Blicavs, Zach Guthrie</p> <p>C: Gryan Miers, Max Holmes, Ollie Dempsey</p> <p>HF: Brad Close, Shannon Neale, Shaun Mannagh</p> <p>F: Patrick Dangerfield, Jeremy Cameron, Tyson Stengle</p> <p>Foll: Rhys Stanley, Bailey Smith, Tom Atkins</p> <p>Int: Jack Martin, Oisin Mullin, Mitch Duncan, Jack Bowes, Ollie Henry</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Richmond Predicted Team List</h3> <p>B: Nathan Broad, Ben Miller, Nick Vlastuin</p> <p>HB: Sam Banks, Jacob Blight, Tom Brown</p> <p>C: Hugo Ralphsmith, Dion Prestia, Luke Trainor</p> <p>HF: Sam Lalor, Noah Balta, Steely Green</p> <p>F: Jonty Faull, Tom Sims, Rhyan Mansell</p> <p>Foll: Toby Nankervis, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper</p> <p>Int: Tyler Sonsie, Jasper Alger, Kamdyn McIntosh, Jack Ross, James Trezise</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Geelong vs Richmond Prediction &amp; Betting Tips</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Head-to-Head Prediction</h3> <p>The head-to-head ledger between these clubs is equal, with five wins each from the last 10 matches. It’s a stretch of games that include high-stakes finals matches and a Grand Final among them.&nbsp;</p> <p>While the Cats are starting to tune up for a big end of the season, the Tigers are about to enter a mode where they look to get to the end of the season with as minimal damage as possible.&nbsp;</p> <p>This one is almost a question of just what gear the Cats choose to play the game in.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Betting tip:</strong> <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/geelong-cats-v-richmond-9366250">Cats</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>First Goal Prediction</h3> <p>The Cats might play a game within the game this week called ‘Feed Jezza’</p> <p>The spearhead has 21 goals from his past five matches and sits eight goals clear of second place. He has the chance to sew up the medal this week. We’re tipping him for a big bag starting with the first of the day.</p> <p><strong>Betting tip: </strong><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/geelong-cats-v-richmond-9366250">Jeremy Cameron</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Most Disposals Prediction</h3> <p>How much will the ‘dash bros’ fill their boots here?</p> <p>Bailey Smith has won stacks of the ball all year, but has saved his biggest hauls for the bottom eight teams. Max Holmes has also gone big against the lower-ranked teams but has been consistently great all year.</p> <p>Flip a coin, we’re going to go with Holmes. There’s also the slight possibility of Smith missing as he has on a few occasions this year to nurse his body through the season.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Betting tip</strong>: <a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/australian-rules/afl/geelong-cats-v-richmond-9366250">Max Holmes 30+ disposals</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>Geelong Cats vs Richmond Tigers Match Details</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Date:</strong> Saturday, July 5, 2025</p> <p><strong>First Bounce:</strong> 4:15 PM AEST</p> <p><strong>Location:</strong> GMHBA Stadium, Geelong</p> <p><strong>How to watch:</strong> Fox Footy/ Kayo Sports</p> <p><br /> &nbsp;</p>