Geelong midfield pair Gary Ablett and Mitch Duncan, two keys to the Cats in 2019. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

GEELONG
2018 record: 13 wins, 10 losses (8th)
List age ranking (oldest to youngest): 6th
List experience ranking (most to fewest games): 5th
Footyology draw ranking (easiest to hardest): 10th

THE INS
Luke Dahlhaus (Western Bulldogs), Nathan Kreuger (South Adelaide), Gary Rohan (Sydney), Jordan Clark (Claremont), Ben Jarvis (Norwood), Jacob Kennerly (Norwood), Darcy Fort (Central District), Jake Tarca (South Adelaide), Oscar Brownless (Geelong Falcons), Tom Atkins (Geelong VFL), Stefan Okunbor (Kerry – GAA), Blake Schlensog (Geelong Falcons)

THE OUTS
Jordan Murdoch (delisted – Gold Coast), Daniel Menzel (delisted – Sydney), Lincoln McCarthy (Brisbane), George Horlin-Smith (Gold Coast), Jackson Thurlow (Sydney), Aaron Black (delisted), Cory Gregson (delisted), Ryan Gardner (delisted), Timm House (delisted), Stewart Crameri (delisted), Matthew Hayball (delisted)

THE BEST 22
B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Mark Blicavs, Jack Henry
HB: Zach Tuohy, Lachie Henderson, Tom Stewart
C: Gary Rohan, Patrick Dangerfield, Mitch Duncan
HF: Sam Menegola, Esava Ratugolea, Luke Dahlhaus
F: Brandan Parfitt, Tom Hawkins, Gary Ablett
R: Rhys Stanley, Joel Selwood, Tim Kelly
Inter: Cameron Guthrie, Nakia Cockatoo, Jordan Clark, Jed Bews
Emerg: Harry Taylor, Scott Selwood, Lachie Fogarty, Quinton Narkle

THE PROGNOSIS
Geelong has had a lot parallels with a regular finals competitor in Sydney in recent years, two teams which have managed to stay competitive for long periods through a combination of trading and drafting, turning over a large chunk of their list whilst continuing to contend.

Regenerating whilst remaining in contention is no easy feat and the Cats, like the Swans, have been able to do it. Like Sydney, though, increasingly you wonder whether Geelong is stuck being pretty good, but not quite good enough to go all the way.

Like the Swans, also, there’s been a gradual diminishing of performance levels across the last three seasons, despite two of those three seasons at least yielding preliminary final appearances.

In 2016, Geelong finished second on the ladder after the regular season with 17 wins, advanced straight to a preliminary final, then got blown out of the water by the Swans in one disastrous opening quarter.

The following year, they still finished second, but this time with only 15 wins and a draw, winning only one of three finals. And last year, even with favourite son Gary Ablett back in the fold, the Cats limped into eighth spot with only 13 wins and exited September immediately at the hands of Melbourne.

Ablett’s teaming up with Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood in the midfield looked magnificent on paper. But whilst all had decent seasons, as did Mitch Duncan, Sam Menegola and first-year recruit Tim Kelly, as a group it’s fair to say the reality was of far less substance than the concept.

It was actually Geelong’s backline which did most to fly the flag in 2018, Mark Blicavs making such a good fist of a move to a key defensive post that he won the best and fairest, Tom Stewart ending up an All-Australian, and Jake Kolodjashnij and Zach Tuohy also very solid, the Cats conceding fewer points than any other team.

Their formidable home ground advantage at GMHBA Stadium might also have flattered them, their eight wins from nine starts at the Cattery with a whopping average winning margin there of 56.5 perhaps making the extent of their problems elsewhere.

Whilst they rarely put in a shocker, only two of their 10 losses by any more than 18 points, the fact remains the Cats won only two of eight games at their alleged second “home” of the MCG, and just five out of 14 away from Kardinia Park. They were found regularly against the absolute best, too, the Cats record against top eight teams an ordinary 5-7.

How does Chris Scott’s side in 2019 go from honest toiler to flag material? It won’t be easy, despite the presence of Tom Hawkins, who was right back to his All-Australian best last year. His 60 goals were more than double the tally of the player second on the goalkickers list, and that player, Dan Menzel, is now in Sydney.

There’s potential for the forward set-up to improve with the return of Esava Ratugolea from a broken ankle, but to do so it will need not only to kick more goals, but work more effectively at locking the ball in, clearly a motivation for the recruitment of former Bulldog Luke Dahlhaus, just as the luring of former Swan Gary Rohan is a bid to address a pace deficiency.

Geelong isn’t terrible anywhere, really, and it certainly has some of the biggest names in the game. Perhaps the Cats, though, are one case of a unit being something less than the sum of its parts.

THE PREDICTION
8th. They’re talented, they’re experienced, almost impossible to beat at home. But like it has been for some time now, Geelong is still that little behind the absolute best in the competition.

THE LADDER SO FAR (click on team to read)
8. GEELONG
9. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
10. HAWTHORN
11. SYDNEY
12. BRISBANE LIONS
13. PORT ADELAIDE
14. WESTERN BULLDOGS
15. FREMANTLE
16. CARLTON
17. ST KILDA
18. GOLD COAST