GEELONG went into the 2024 AFL Draft with late picks which would allow its recruiters’ shrewd judgement to shine. In the end, they came away with seven fresh faces having targeted versatile and developable talent across the field. We recap the Cats’ haul.

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DRAFT HAUL

National Draft:

44. Jay Polkinghorne 
52. Jacob Molier
66. Lennox Hofmann (St Kilda Academy, bid not matched)
69. Keighton Matofai-Forbes

Rookie Draft:

12. Xavier Ivisic 
23. Patrick Retschko
31. Joe Pike

>> CLICK each player’s names for full profiles & highlights

Geelong’s chaotic entrance to the AFL Draft saw the club place two bids before making its first live selection. Brisbane duly matched for Academy forward Ty Gallop with pick 42, before Carlton did the same with father-son midfielder Ben Camporeale, putting the Cats back on the clock at pick 44.

The theme of pairs continued as the Cats went on to group a couple of South Australian bolters, the first being Jay Polkinghorne. Plucked out of Norwood, the 191cm forward boasts an impressive leap and was never held goalless across 11 combined SANFL Under 18s and Reserves outings.

Polkinghorne did enough to be invited to the state draft combine despite not turning out for South Australia during the National Championships. Drawing comparisons to Carlton’s Charlie Curnow, he saved a personal-best 17 disposals, eight marks and two goals for the Reserves Grand Final.

Fellow Croweater Jacob Molier, who also came from outside the South Australian Under 18 squad, was then selected with pick 52. A teammate of Alex Dodson at Sturt, he impressed at the draft combine with his mobility and is considered long-term key forward fold, while also having the capacity to ruck.

Having made two unsuccessful bids in the 40s, the Cats were able to land a club-tied player in St Kilda Next Generation Academy prospect Lennox Hofmann (pick 66). The Sandringham Dragons premiership defender is a tall with good speed at 190cm, which aids his ability to intercept and rebound.

Geelong was soon enough on the clock again for a fourth selection, calling out Western Jets skipper Keighton Matofai-Forbes. The powerhouse prospect had an injury interrupted year but impressed with his work ethic and penetrative foot skills. He’s a forward who could develop in a variety of roles.

Fast-forward to Wednesday’s Rookie Draft, and a pair of local Falcons graduates were given opportunities. Midfielder-forward Xavier Ivisic was the first, while over-age ruck Joe Pike also showed enough to earn an opportunity after a half-dozen VFL games with the Cats.

The need for running power was clearly addressed with Ivisic, along with fellow rookie Patrick Retschko. Both players are capable of connecting the field with their outside run and are not locked into just one position. All up, the Cats recruited a mix of versatile talents with strong upside, backing their usually outstanding judgement and the depth of this year’s crop.