ST KILDA could well be Geelong's bogey team, but GMHBA Stadium is undoubtedly the Saints' bogey venue.

Already an enormous Thursday night clash given the context of their seasons, the Saints' meeting with the Cats this week has a curious backdrop.

There is only one place to start, and – while it is not alone on this front in the modern era – that is St Kilda's terrible record in Geelong.

The Saints have lost 13 straight games at the venue, with two of those by 100-plus points.

Their last win at the ground was way back in 1999, when Barry Hall (four goals), Andrew Thompson (30 disposals, eight clearances and two goals) and Peter Everitt (21 and two) inspired a 10-point victory.

But only that losing record down the highway has prevented the Saints from having an unusually strong record against the Cats in recent years, which comes as a surprise given Geelong's run of success in that time.

St Kilda has won its past four meetings against Geelong at Marvel Stadium, and four of the previous seven clashes overall. The three losses in that time have come at, you guessed it, GMHBA Stadium.

Thursday night will also mark a return to the scene of one of Ross Lyon's great triumphs as coach.

Lyon has lost six of the eight matches he has coached at the ground, including six at the helm of Fremantle, but his second trip to Geelong as coach lives long in the memory.

After finishing third in 2013, the Dockers faced the daunting trip to Geelong for a qualifying final. But Lyon's side, famously, upset the Cats by 15 points in a memorable win that started a run to their first Grand Final.

The bogey venue has proven too much for the Saints in the recent past, but their recent record against the Cats is cause for optimism.

And given victory on Thursday could even move the Saints ahead of the Cats on the ladder, it's arguably the most important contest between the two sides in some time.