Just a kick away from grabbing what would have been a memorable victory indeed on Anzac Day, Essendon nonetheless goes into this week’s clash with Geelong with spirits high.

So it should. The Bombers could have easily waved the white flag once falling more than five goals behind Collingwood on the biggest of home-and-away occasions, but clawed their way back into and almost pinched the contest with pure hard work and resilience.

In some ways it was the perfect preparation for what, in terms of form, is an even bigger test on Sunday.

Geelong sits a game clear on top of the AFL ladder having just dispatched reigning premier West Coast by 58 points. The Cats are looking a lot sharper than last year thanks to a more potent forward set-up and the introduction of some serious ground-level talent, all of whom have already made a big impression.

Essendon, though, goes into the clash knowing it has twice in two seasons at this same venue got the better of Geelong with very impressive performances. Can it become three from three? Here’s the five key questions to the result.

1. Essendon has won the last two encounters with Geelong. How have they gone about it?

The Bombers had struggled with the Cats for a long time prior to the last two seasons. In fact, they’d lost 13 of 14 clashes from 2006-2016, as big a run of outs as the Dons have known against anyone.

The last two meetings, however, both at the MCG, have produced a 17-point win (two years ago) and last year, a comprehensive 34-point victory which turned the club’s entire season around. There’s been a significant common denominator in both victories, too, namely tackle pressure.

In the first win, Essendon more than doubled Geelong’s tackle count 81-40, while last season it was 91-68. Hard work via defensive running off the ball has also been a key to both wins. The Dons can be confident of being able to apply that pressure again, too, currently ranked fifth on the differential count for tackles, Geelong only 10^th.

The big challenge will be to win enough contested ball, in which the Cats have been dominant, ranked No.1 for that category and last week against West Coast winning 33 more contested possessions than the Eagles.

2. How do we deal with Geelong’s forward set-up?

Two things will be critical. First, curbing the supply lines to the Cats’ forwards from further afield. The Cats currently rank only 11^th for amount of inside 50s, but are a clear No.1 for percentage of goals from those entries. That means ensuring there’s more 'dirty ball' than usual for Geelong’s spread of goalkickers, that their shots are hurried and from difficult positions.

Second will be to ensure a real team defence effort, in which midfielders drop back often to help out, and all defenders are focused as equally on negating their men as creating attack.

The Cats are more potent in attack this season (ranked No.1) and have far more goalkicking options than Tom Hawkins, particularly smaller forwards Gary Rohan, Gryan Miers, Luke Dahlhaus, and, of course, Gary Ablett, now playing far more regularly close to goal. That puts the onus on the likes of Adam Saad and Conor McKenna to perhaps may more attention to their direct opponents than usual, without compromising their ability to create damaging rebound.

Dangerous forward Gary Rohan is one of many attacking options for the Cats. (Photo: AFL Media)

3. How will the Bombers look in attack?

Potentially a little different, perhaps a little shorter than has been the case most of this season. That’s as much through necessity as design, with in-form key forward Mitch Brown the latest casualty, joining Shaun McKernan, James Stewart and now Jayden Laverde on the sidelines.

Encouragingly, though, this is potentially as good a week as any to be going with a smaller, more mobile attack. That’s because as good as Geelong’s defence is (ranked No.1 for fewest points against), the Cats aren’t really flush with smaller, quicker backmen. And with Orazio Fantasia returning from illness, there may be an opportunity to exploit the Cats for mobility, with Joe Daniher as the main marking target, another effective mark but still agile at ground level support hand in Jake Stringer, and Fantasia, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Mark Baguley and a rotation of resting on-ballers hopefully running the Cats around in the forward 50 arc.

4. How important does the midfield battle loom?

It’s always important. But the Anzac Day clash with Collingwood and this week’s game arguably provide the two bests tests of its midfield depth and quality Essendon will have all season. And again, it will be all hands on deck.

While Magpie skipper Scott Pendlebury won the Anzac Medal last week, the Bombers mids ended up winning the clearance count and managed to curb the influence of Collingwood’s long list of on-ballers as a whole.

Against Geelong, Patrick Dangerfield, Tim Kelly, Joel Selwood, Sam Menegola and Mitch Duncan are the midfield men of which to be mindful. That will demand big performances from Essendon’s biggest on-ball stars Dylan Shiel, Zach Merrett, Dyson Heppell and David Zaharakis. But it's also the contributions of Andy McGrath, Darcy Parish and the pinch-hitting of Jake Stringer and even Orazio Fantasia and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti which can see the Dons emerge on top in the midfield stakes.

5. Is the venue a factor this week?

It could be, but even then the MCG doesn’t shape as the apparent minefield it became for both clubs in 2018. Essendon won only one of its eight games at the home of football last year. That was against, yep, you guessed it, Geelong, whose record there last year was hardly any more inspiring, winning only two of its eight games on the ground, the final defeat the elimination final against Melbourne.

Both seem to have turned that dislike around so far this season, however, with the Dons winning two of three. Geelong is two from two to date, with wins over Collingwood and Hawthorn. The Cats and the Dons both seem better suited to the 'G this season, Essendon’s leg-speed an obvious asset, but Geelong, too, having picked up some handy runners in the likes of Rohan and Dahlhaus and also using the width of the ground more in 2019 as the Cats bring the ball out of defence. And both teams are capable of inflicting plenty of damage given sufficient space.

You can read more of Rohan Connolly’s work at his FOOTYOLOGY website.