Geelong captain Joel Selwood is bullish about himself and his team, despite Friday night’s AFL qualifying final drubbing.

Selwood clearly needed the run and was down on his usual output as Richmond mauled the Cats in the last quarter for a 51-point win.

The hard-nut Geelong midfielder made a speedy return from ankle surgery after he was injured in round 20.

Selwood, usually a prolific ball winner, had 19 disposals and did not have a major impact on the game.

“It (ankle) was actually pretty good. Apart from me being just a bit rusty, the ankle itself was as expected and good on the night,” he said.

Selwood expects he will be able to step up his training heading into Friday night’s sudden-death semi-final at the MCG.

“(Preparation) will be similar to last week. A bit more continuity and training, which is nice,” he said.

The year-old change to the finals format, with the bye after round 23, and the Western Bulldogs’ stunning premiership a year ago means a sense of the unknown about what will happen this September.

Hence, the Cats can remain bullish about their prospects, despite the odds now being stacked against them.

They have lost Cam Guthrie and Jake Kolodjashnij to calf injuries and, given calves usually take more well over a week to heal, their seasons are probably over.

A lot of the talk heading into Friday night’s game revolved around Richmond’s poor finals record.

But the Cats have now lost seven of nine finals since their 2011 premiership.

And the loss puts them into what looks to be the tougher half of the finals draw, headed by minor premiers Adelaide.

But Selwood continued the message out of the Cats camp that they have cause for optimism.

“It only takes one win to get back on and get this side riding a wave, as we saw the Bulldogs do last year,” he said.

“One big win next weekend could change (the) whole landscape of things.”