The curse Bulldogs coach Beveridge 'wore heavily'

After going 20 years between wins in Geelong, the Western Bulldogs hold no fears about facing former teammate Bailey Smith at GMHBA Stadium.

The Bulldogs lost 11 straight matches at Kardinia Park after a win there in 2003, before finally breaking through at the end of 2023.

They proved it was no fluke by stunning the Cats last year with a comprehensive 47-point victory, even as Geelong were on their way to an AFL preliminary final.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge admitted he was seriously relieved when they finally won at GMHBA Stadium two years ago.

"It gets the monkey off your back a little bit," Beveridge said ahead of the Thursday night showdown.

"Personally as a coach, it was one thing that the teams that I'd coached, we hadn't achieved, and I sort of wore it pretty heavily.

"Once we finally won there a couple of years ago, it was a bit of a relief, because it's just that milestone that you want to tick off.

"Now that we've done it, the monkey's off a bit.

"I think it just frees you up ... it's a game of footy where everyone's dealing with the same things."

Smith, who left the Bulldogs at the end of last season, has more than delivered early in his Geelong career.

The 24-year-old has become the second favourite for the Brownlow Medal, only behind Collingwood megastar Nick Daicos.

Geelong coach Chris Scott has hailed Smith's influence on the club, both on and off the field.

"Let's not take away from the theatre of it, it will be a full house on Thursday night," Scott said.

"It is interesting to reflect back ... Mitch (Duncan, set to play his 300th game for Geelong) was a year earlier than me.

"If someone had said in 15 years' time that we are going to have 40,000 people at a packed GMHBA Stadium, with the quality of facilities, two of the best teams in the competition right at the moment, it is pretty cool for Geelong."