Lawson Humphries (right) took to AFL footy like a duck to water last year and looks to have a bright future. Photo: AFL MEDIA
GEELONG
2024 record: 16 wins, 9 losses (4th)
THE INS
Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs), Jack Martin (Carlton), Jay Polkinghorne (Norwood), Jacob Molier (Sturt), Lennox Hofmann (Sandringham Dragons), Keighton Matofai-Forbes (Western Jets), Xavier Ivisic (Geelong Falcons), Patrick Retschko (Oakleigh Chargers), Joe Pike (Geelong Falcons), Cillian Burke (Kerry – GAA)
THE OUTS
Tom Hawkins (retired), Zach Tuohy (retired), Gary Rohan (delisted), Brandan Parfitt (delisted), Emerson Jeka (delisted), Phoenix Foster (delisted), Oscar Murdoch (delisted), James Willis (delisted), Mitch Hardie (delisted), Joe Furphy (delisted)
THE STRENGTHS
Just when you thought it was safe to write off Geelong following their underwhelming 2023 campaign, last year the Cats did what they’ve done best for the last two decades and proved the critics wrong yet again by making it to yet another preliminary final. And who would be foolish enough to dismiss them from premiership calculations this year? They might have the fifth-oldest and third-most experienced list in the league, but as they showed in 2022, that doesn’t matter if you’ve got quality all over the park. The lynchpin of their forward line is four-time All-Australian superstar Jeremy Cameron, who is accompanied by Tyson Stengle, Brad Close and Gryan Miers – arguably the best small forward trio in the league. It’s little wonder that the Cats boasted the third best attack last season. Ollie Henry and forward revelation Shannon Neale helped Cameron ensure Geelong were sixth for marks inside 50 in 2024. Captain Patrick Dangerfield is still a force to be reckoned with in the midfield, Max Holmes is now one of the best wingmen in the league, Ollie Dempsey is a future star and they’ve managed to add someone by the name of Bailey Smith to their midfield rotation as well. Down back, they’ve got one of the league’s most enviable key-position one-two punches in Tom Stewart and Sam De Koning, while Lawson Humphries is another impressive, emerging talent.
THE WEAKNESSES
Geelong’s run to the top four was made all the more noteworthy given they had the 11th-ranked defence. They looked particularly vulnerable in the middle of last year when they lost six out of seven games, and gave up four scores of over 100 in that period. The Cats were able to have a pretty successful campaign by not having the ball in their possession as much as one would expect. In 2024, they finished 12th for clearances, 13th for contested possessions, 13th for marks and 14th for disposals. Now, whether it was by design or not, clearly it was a methodology that delivered pretty good results for them. However, if they wished to change things up this season and increase their possession game, the good thing for them to know is that they have plenty of areas in which they can rise up the standings dramatically. Geelong were also 11th in tackles last season, so coach Chris Scott would presumably want that to improve in 2025. Meanwhile, with so many quality talls in the line-up, coming in 12th for contested marks is under par and that’s also an area they can better themselves in.
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ONE TO WATCH
Humphries burst onto the scene last year with a magnificent debut game against Essendon in the wet, and never looked back. He played the final 11 games of the season, averaging 17 disposals, six marks, four score involvements, four intercepts and 327 metres gained. The classy 21-year-old has beautiful skills and looks set for a long career.
UNDER THE PUMP
Jhye Clark might only be entering his third season at the top level, but the former No.8 pick has failed to live up to expectations so far and hasn’t had a huge impact in his first two years. Granted he suffered a serious foot injury early in his career, but after playing 15 games last season, he was dropped in Round 19, never to return. He only averaged 12 touches in 2024 and would want to increase that significantly this year.
BEST 23
B: Jake Kolodjashnij, Sam De Koning, Jack Henry
HB: Zach Guthrie, Tom Stewart, Lawson Humphries
C: Max Holmes, Cam Guthrie, Bailey Smit
HF: Brad Close, Jeremy Cameron, Gryan Miers
F: Oliver Henry, Shannon Neale, Tyson Stengle
R: Rhys Stanley, Patrick Dangerfield, Ollie Dempsey
Inter: Mark Blicavs, Mitch Duncan, Jack Bowes, Tanner Bruhn, Tom Atkins
Emerg: Shaun Mannagh, Mark O’Connor, Oisin Mullin
Cam Guthrie has managed just 10 games in the last two years, and underwent minor Achilles surgery last week, but fully fit and at his best, he is still a walk-up start to this team. Mature-age forward Shaun Mannagh is unlucky to be squeezed out of the best 23 after his fantastic debut season last year, but competition for spots is hot, and that’s a great sign for the Cats. New recruit Jack Martin won’t be gifted any games in a side that should again be pushing for a double chance.
*all team stat rankings mentioned are based on differentials, not totals (apart from overall offence and defence).
To leave out Manaugh for Duncan is madness.
As a Cats fan, I was very pessimistic about our chances last year and would have remained so if Dempsey (what an athlete!), the Humph and Mannagh had not emerged so brilliantly and unexpectedly. This year I am feeling a lot more optimistic but anticipate that Paddy will really fall off the pace. Club legend, freak of a player, but the amount of abuse his body has copped over his career must surely be catching up, a la Selwood. I sincerely hope that he can hang on for six months.
Player I’m looking out for: Polkinghorne. Lots of smart football people say he is a future gun. I’d be thrilled if he did a Humphreys.
Is he going to make it? The Loch Ness ruckman. Effed his back in the scratcher. The original ruckman held together with chewy and Gaffa tape.
Mullin. Lovely chap, obviously extremely skilled, built like the proverbial. Can he work the game out in time?
Saynora? Cam Guthrie surely must be gone.
Next step. As your columnist noted, Jhye Clarke has to have things go his way. I do not doubt his commitment, definitely not a Billie Smedts. Sadly, like Smedts, he’s still pretty weedy and I have a sense that the pressure is getting to him; I’ve got him at 20% likely. Would be a shame.
Roll on opening round.