VENUE & TIME: Etihad Stadium, Sunday 5 July, 3.10pm (AEST)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played: 201: St Kilda 79, Geelong 122
LAST TIME: Geelong 17.17 (119) d St Kilda 8.13 (61) at MCG, 2008 first qualifying final

WALKING WOUNDED: The Cats have lost defender David Johnson to a strained calf with David Wojcinski expected to take his place for this much anticipated clash between the AFL's two best teams. The Cats are also still without number one ruckman Brad Ottens, who is expected to miss another two matches with the knee injury that has sidelined him since Round 2, but other than that are at full strength apart from long-term casualties Matthew Egan and Josh Hunt. But the Saints too are virtually at full strength other than the suspended Steven King and long-term knee victim Xavier Clarke although experienced defender Max Hudghton is in doubt with the ankle injury he sustained last week against Richmond.

FORM: No two teams have ever dominated an AFL season the way the Cats and the Saints have in 2009. This is the latest that two unbeaten teams have ever met in the home and away season and this match has been talked up as a grand final preview for weeks already. The Saints are on their best winning streak in history, 13 in a row, while the Cats have not only won their first 13 as well this season but 55 of their past 58 games overall since Round 6, 2007 - the longest sustained run of success by any club in history.

WHO'S HOT: St Kilda defender Brendon Goddard has been one of the main reasons why the Saints' defence is on course to produce the best defensive performance by any team in decades this season. Goddard has protected the Saints' defence all season with his ability to win the ball across half-back and he was at his best last week against Richmond with 35 touches while in 13 games this season he has averaged more than 27 disposals and a goal per game. For Geelong its durable midfielder Joel Corey is again back to his best after a rare spell on the sidelines recently due to foot soreness. But after missing Rounds 10 and 11 - ending a run of 94 successive matches - Corey has gathered 30 and 34 disposals in his past two matches and remains one of the Cats' most important players.

WE THINK: It's here at last! It's the match everyone has been talking about since early in the season as it soon became apparent the Saints and the Cats were the two teams to beat in season 2009. It's a battle between the AFL's best defence in St Kilda and the AFL's best forward line in Geelong as well as two stellar midfields as the Saints' on-ball division of Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball and Leigh Montagna go head-to-head with Gary Ablett, Jim Bartel, Joel Selwood and Joel Corey. The fact these two clubs are already four games clear of the rest of the competition tells you everything about how they have performed this year and while much will be made of the result - given the game is being tipped as a grand final preview - it will have little practical effect on either side as both appear certain to finish in the top two. But while the Cats may have been the less impressive of the two teams in recent weeks, Mark Thompson's team has the score on the board over three seasons and has won the past three meeting against the Saints, including a 10-goal mauling in the finals last season. There is no doubt the Saints are now closer to Geelong than they have ever been but you always get the feeling the Cats can raise their game to another level whereas the pressure-packed environment on Sunday will be a new experience for many of the Saints' younger players. Geelong by 20 points.