Geelong will use last year’s semi-final defeat as motivation for its clash against North on Sunday.

The Roos famously held on to record a six-point win against a fast-finishing Cats’ side last September, and midfielder Josh Caddy says it still weighs on his mind.

"You never forget those losses and how disappointing it is,” Caddy said on Tuesday.

"So I reckon there's a little bit of that feeling that you want to beat those sides you've created a rivalry with.

"Some guys might not use that as motivation, but I definitely do."

North’s record at Simonds Stadium is poor in recent times. Its last win at the venue came in 2007, a year in which Geelong went on to win the Grand Final.

But Caddy said that form will mean little when the ball is bounced.

"North are a quality side. Since I've been here (at Geelong) they've beaten us a couple of times. They've been a hard side for us, and they got us in that final.

"They've had a bit of a disappointing start to the season, as have we.”

Both teams go into Sunday’s clash with a 1-2 win-loss record, and both have significant outs; the Roos are missing Nick Dal Santo, and could be without Daniel Wells, Jack Ziebell and Jamie Macmillan, while Jimmy Bartel will miss at least the next two months with a knee injury.

Caddy is confident Geelong can cover for its injured star.

"It's an opportunity for someone else to come in have a crack in the seniors and hopefully cement a spot - that's the way I look at it," he added.