Opinion
It’s been nine years since the Geelong Cats last won the AFL premiership in 2011.
There was a period of time when they won three premierships in the space of five years, when Geelong was a model of consistency. Since 2007, they have missed the finals only once.
Fast-forward to 2020 and Geelong are bound for a top-four finals appearance yet again, but looking at the years ahead, there must be changes aplenty for the club.
The Cats have been blessed with great players who have come and gone. When you look at the current composition of the team you see quality veterans in Harry Taylor, Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins and Gary Ablett Jr.
(Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
To add to that experienced core Geelong have brought in Patrick Dangerfield, Zach Tuohy, Jack Stevens, Josh Jenkins and Lachie Henderson over the years. The similarity is that all those players are 30 and above.
The club have a lot of interesting prospects and there are three groups you could create to break down the team. You have players who are 30 years old or older, players who are between the ages of 26 and 29 and players who are under the age of 26.
While we mentioned the ageing roster of Geelong, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Cats. Geelong also have their share of youngsters under 26 years of age who are still developing. They’ll be ready to take over from the veterans down the track.
Brandan Parfitt has become one of the top tacklers of the game, putting his body on the line around the ball while also creating clearances. Gryan Miers has also continued to make strides in his second season and will be a pivotal player for years to come.
When you throw in the likes of Tom Atkins, Jack Henry, Mark O’Connor, Jake Kolodjashnij and Esava Ratugolea, these are all rotational players who have been able to contribute to the team.
With an abundance of ageing stars, it’s left little playing time for a number of players. The depth of Geelong’s list means players such as Lachie Fogarty, Jordan Clark and Charlie Constable have missed out barring some sporadic appearances.
Meanwhile, it’s the players in their prime, between 26 and 29 years old, who become the glue guys for the veterans and the youngsters. Geelong have a high disposal rate, which you can credit their midfield for, including Cameron Guthrie, Sam Menegola and Mitch Duncan.
Luke Dahlhaus and Tom Stewart also provide a dynamic edge to the Cats in the medium forward and defence positions, which shows how much versatility they have.
The ageing core of Hawkins, Ablett Jr, Dangerfield, Taylor and Tuohy are still doing wonders for the club. However, if they fail to win the flag in 2020, changes might not be far from the horizon.
Geelong have three first-round draft picks heading into the off-season and, as mentioned earlier, will be able to have a plethora of young and prime-age talent to work with. How they manage their assets will shape their future.
It will be interesting to see whether they make one final push by trading for established talent or acquiring free agents in the short term. Otherwise, being able to rebuild their core while remaining competitive will be a plan that they’ll have to figure out.
It’s intriguing times ahead for the Geelong Cats.
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