There will be plenty at stake tonight when Carlton clashes with Geelong at Etihad Stadium, as the Cats try to break into the top eight and Carlton strives to jump off the bottom of the ladder.

Both sides will be hoping to turn their form around after suffering big losses to the Sydney teams last week. Geelong went down to the Swans by 43 points, while the Blues had a disappointing 78-point loss to Greater Western Sydney.

If the last encounter between these two teams is anything to go by, tonight’s match could be close. In Round 21 last year at Etihad Stadium, the Cats’ Alan Christensen kicked a goal in the dying stages to defeat the Blues by a single goal: 11.16 (82) to 11.10 (76).

Carlton must wonder what it has to do to beat Geelong down at Docklands. Since 2002, the two teams have played at Etihad Stadium 13 times and the Blues are yet to bag a win. When asked whether the team’s preparation included watching those matches, Carlton coach Michael Malthouse quipped:

“No we haven’t looked at the 13 games. What we do is go back over the last four weeks and see how they’re travelling and how we’re travelling … you can’t get caught up in 13 games ago, it’s insignificant really,” Malthouse said.

Geelong midfielder Steven Motlop, who kicked three goals against Carlton in their last clash, believes the Blues will “come out firing” as they strive to win their second game of the season.

"We've had some really good battles with them in the past, and they've got a classy midfield that you can't let off the leash,” he said.

One of those classy midfielders is young gun Patrick Cripps, who returns to the side after missing last week with a tight calf. Veteran backman Kade Simpson, who has also overcome a tight calf, will be a big inclusion and provide some experience down back for the Blues.

The Cats regain three key players for the match, leading forward Tom Hawkins, midfielder James Kelly and defender Andrew Mackie. Geelong will be without midfielder Mitch Duncan who is out for 12 weeks after he suffered a broken foot in the game against the Swans.

The match also marks a milestone for Carlton’s dual Brownlow medallist Chris Judd as he qualifies for AFL Life Membership. It will be Judd’s 300th official game since his debut in 2002, comprising 277 premiership games, 19 pre-season games, one State of Origin game and two International Rules games.

Tickets to tonight’s match are still available through Ticketmaster.