WITH season proper and trade period done and dusted, AFL fans and staff alike now turn their attention towards the draft (November 20-21). The chaos has momentarily settled on player and pick swaps, and budding prospects have completed their combines, leaving a nervous wait until they learn their fate.

In the next of our club-by-club draft previews, we take a look at Geelong’s hand and offer insight into how the Cats may utilise the picks at their possession. After a failed premiership defence in 2023, the deal to trade Esava Ratugolea has opened up a potentially busy intake to prepare for the future.

LADDER FINISH: 12th (10-12-1, 112.6%)
2023 PICKS: 8, 25, 76, 87, 94
FUTURE PICKS: GEE R1, GEE R2, GEE R3, GEE R4
ACADEMY/FATHER-SON NOMINEES: Nil

FIRST PICK:
Pick 8

Having previously traded out of this year’s draft for the most part, Geelong managed to get back in via the Ratugolea trade and may well yet bolster its hand. The Cats have made it clear that pick eight is on the table to any satisfactory offer, either to open up possibilities down the order or into 2024.

Should the club keep its current opening selection, there are plenty of suitable targets in the offing. Geelong has ageing stars scattered all over the ground, but perhaps a forward line spearheaded by Tom Hawkins (35-years-old) and Jeremy Cameron (30) requires some attention for the long-term.

Enter Northern Knights marking machine Nate Caddy, viewed by many as a regeneration of Geelong Falcons product Charlie Curnow. The 193cm forward is powerful and supremely athletic, with aerial presence which makes him difficult to tie down for a full four quarters.

The engine room is another area Geelong may look to fulfil, despite laying claim to a few emerging talents. Should that be the case, inside types Ryley Sanders or Daniel Curtin would be too difficult to pass up should they slide down the order. The latter also doubles as an elite key defender.

Another player, more in the hybrid mould, that Geelong has been linked to is Darcy Wilson. The classy midfielder-forward can play inside and out, offering a well-rounded athletic profile and incisive skills. If not for Caddy or rising Tasmanian utility James Leake, he looks like being the Cats’ man.

REMAINING CROP:

Geelong’s remaining crop could well take up a very different look on draft night, with the potential to trade pick eight and manufacture moves to end up with four or five selections. The Cats have a second round pick to work with too, and obscure mature-agers or local talent to consider per usual.

GWV Rebels midfielder George Stevens is a readymade player who Geelong would have had a decent look at via its VFL program. The strongly built 189cm ball winner starred with 29 touches in just his second state league game, and could lift a load off the Cats’ smaller on-ballers with immediate effect.

Speaking of, though perhaps later in the piece, Cats VFL defender Bailey Van De Heuvel was the oldest prospect to earn a draft combine invite this year at 25, and suits the club’s method of topping up with mature talent. He’s a tall who has the size and nous to hold his own aerially.

Geelong is also said to be interested in VAFA product Sam Sofronidis, a 194cm intercept defender who dominated the competition this year. Other clubs have also been watching closely, with the 23-year-old considered a rookie chance.

In a similar vein, 20-year-old former Geelong Falcon Oliver Wiltshire has also emerged as a chance out of local level. Again, the Cats are said to be among a few clubs interested in the Barwon Heads talent who shapes as a dynamic midfield option.

Arching back into the second round range, 190cm rebound defender Angus Hastie looms as the best local product in Geelong’s region this year. Falcons co-captain Michael Rudd may also fit the bill if Caddy is overlooked, with strong running capacity and aerial ability as a link-up tall forward.

The latter is expected to be available late, along with teammates Thomas Anastasopoulos (small forward), Liam Kershaw (defender), and Morrish Medallist Patrick Hughes, who had a solid season despite being overlooked for Vic Country duties.

Elsewhere, and back on the mature-age train, Werribee pair Shaun Mannagh and Sam Clohesy have been making waves. The former, 26, is a prolific mid-forward who lit up this year’s VFL Grand Final with 28 disposals and six goals. The latter, 20, is a running half-back who won the esteemed Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal.

KEY QUESTIONS:

– Will Geelong keep pick eight or look to hit the live trading table?
– Will Geelong once again target local talent despite a lean looking pool?
– Are mature-agers the answer for Geelong in its quest to bounce back into finals?