Revealed: The horror stats that Damien Hardwick and Chris Scott will be trying to live down on Friday night

BOTH Geelong and Richmond are haunted by recent finals losses. JON RALPH looks at the demons each club will be hoping to exorcise on Friday night.

Geelong and Richmond are both haunted by recent finals disappointment.

FINALS losses haunt your dreams.

After home-and-away losses there is usually a do-over seven days later but a finals loss can become a recurring nightmare.

Chris Scott and Damien Hardwick approach Friday night’s blockbuster hoping to exorcise finals demons.

For Hardwick the wait has been two seasons.

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NUMBERS GAME: HOW THE CATS DOMINATE THE TIGERS

Alex Rance and the Tigers were wrecked by the Roos in their 2015 elimination final. Picture: Michael Klein

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ROBBO: PRESSURE ON CHRIS SCOTT AS FINALS LOSSES MOUNT

His side went into that elimination final against North Melbourne as a contested ball machine and came out obliterated by the Roos.

“I still remember that number — 33 — that number still haunts me,’’ he said months after that loss.

“We were ranked No. 2 in contested ball differential for the year and to have a number stick out like that at the end of the game was un-Richmond-like.”

Lance Franklin and the Swans still haunt the Cats dreams. Picture: Getty Images

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Chris Scott’s number is similar, but for his club it was a statistical dominance that didn’t come close to transferring into a win.

In the 2016 preliminary final Geelong won the inside 50s 72-40 yet still had their pants pulled down by Sydney.

It is a stunning number that in every other game since 1999 — bar two — would have resulted in a win.

And yet Sydney smashed Geelong in close, kicked 7.2 to their five points in the first quarter, were 49 points up at half time and won by 37 points.

A forlorn Patrick Dangerfield after the losing final against Sydney. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

So Hardwick will test out a game plan he believes is built for September — frenetic tackling, quick ball movement, pressure and hunt the opposition.

Scott will see if a year tinkering with his forward line will be executed on the big stage.

Harry Taylor and Sam Menegola have gone forward, Tom Hawkins has roamed far and wide, Patrick Dangerfield has spent more time inside forward 50.

Instead of basking in his Brownlow Medal glow, Dangerfield even spent a summer learning to handball to running receivers rather than bludgeoning the ball forward.

Both clubs road test those changes knowing the winner has a foot in the Grand Final and the loser is likely to take on Sydney.

For Geelong, a straight-sets loser last year, and Richmond, having lost their past four finals, straight sets is a mighty ugly expression to consider.

Hardwick will know the Cats might attempt to shut down Trent Cotchin’s drive or limit the rebound of Brandon Ellis, as the Kangaroos did back in 2015.

Trent Cotchin knows the Cats will put time into him — will he dominate, or wilt? Picture: Getty Images

After 16 possessions in the 2014 elimination final and nine in the 2015 version, Cotchin will come out breathing fire.

Do the Tigers try to free him up from a tag or let him work it out, do the Cats orchestrate Harry Taylor deep to get the Alex Rance match-up they loved in Round 21?

Can Richmond’s No. 1 ranked defence do what Sydney did last September and absorb the punishment then slingshot the ball into forward 50 again and again?

Footy asks so many questions of its players and coaches

How they answer them in September can be the different of a summer of deep slumber or more restless nights.