Prediction How Will The Cats Fare in 2025?

[The rabbi]

Will they improve? Will they regress? The big questions facing Geelong in 2025​

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SEN Breakfast hosts Sam Edmund and Kane Cornes have run their eyes over Geelong and how they’re shaping up for the 2025 campaign.
With the trade and free agency period now complete, Edmund and Cornes discussed how the club may improve in 2025, how they may regress if things go wrong and the big questions facing the club next season.

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What do you think and why?

 

[iameviljez]

6th to 8th.

We had a decent year last year - one where we were good but not consistent, and then had a very very very good QF.

Our three major x-factor players are all well into their thirties, and so I do have us sliding a little before we bounce.

 

[CHAWKTS]

6th to 8th.

We had a decent year last year - one where we were good but not consistent, and then had a very very very good QF.

Our three major x-factor players are all well into their thirties, and so I do have us sliding a little before we bounce.

That makes sense… of course it was exactly what I hoped for in 2024 and we did much better by making top 4 and putting ourselves in position to pinch a flag. I thought we could go backwards by missing 8 again but guessed bottom half of the 8.

So I suppose have similar view going into 2025 but with an inkling we can surprise again…We still need Danger and Stewart to be as good as 2024 and I think they can. No reason in my mind Jezza can’t be… And then we need improvement from the younger guys - not impossible

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Flag.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

That makes sense… of course it was exactly what I hoped for in 2024 and we did much better by making top 4 and putting ourselves in position to pinch a flag. I thought we could go backwards by missing 8 again but guessed bottom half of the 8.

So I suppose have similar view going into 2025 but with an inkling we can surprise again…We still need Danger and Stewart to be as good as 2024 and I think they can. No reason in my mind Jezza can’t be… And then we need improvement from the younger guys - not impossible

CHAWKTS: Far more LIKELY than - not impossible...... therefore we will do exceedingly well, excluding bad injury run !!!

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I think it depends on how we start, we have a difficult run of 10 odd games then the 2nd half of the year is much easier.


If we have a good start, then I can see us being top 4 again otherwise a slow start could see us 5th- 8th.

 

[PzBlinky]

Read the vibe of the article and disregard the ending...we've broken them.

Nobody dares proclaim we're about to hit the cliff anymore. Hundreds have fallen on their swords over the years and they've lost their appetite for getting it wrong.

But on a more serious note, it feels the team (and list) is in a pretty good place. It's been a master-class of phasing out the senior players and either having a younger player who's served their apprenticeship (Neale and COS right now), or someone who adds a new dimension (Smith, Mannagh).

Our system is set up to take pressure off our draftees, who can all spend a year or two learning the ropes in the VFL without us feeling the need to throw them in the deep end. Maybe one or two will get a small taste of senior experience (like COS did last year) but unless injuries strike, we don't need them until 26/27.

But that's a bit of a tangent.

Like most teams, injuries will play a part in determining how we go but I think we're well-placed. There's enough discussion on the ruck and midfield in other threads, but they feel like our biggest two hotspots and aren't raging out-of-control fires at this point.

I think what will have a bigger say on where we finish is how other teams go. I can see Freo shooting up, and there's always a surprise or two. For ourselves, I'm not sure about top 4 but wouldn't be surprised to finish 5th or 6th.

 

[Gazza Greatness]

Read the vibe of the article and disregard the ending...we've broken them.

Nobody dares proclaim we're about to hit the cliff anymore. Hundreds have fallen on their swords over the years and they've lost their appetite for getting it wrong.

But on a more serious note, it feels the team (and list) is in a pretty good place. It's been a master-class of phasing out the senior players and either having a younger player who's served their apprenticeship (Neale and COS right now), or someone who adds a new dimension (Smith, Mannagh).

Our system is set up to take pressure off our draftees, who can all spend a year or two learning the ropes in the VFL without us feeling the need to throw them in the deep end. Maybe one or two will get a small taste of senior experience (like COS did last year) but unless injuries strike, we don't need them until 26/27.

But that's a bit of a tangent.

Like most teams, injuries will play a part in determining how we go but I think we're well-placed. There's enough discussion on the ruck and midfield in other threads, but they feel like our biggest two hotspots and aren't raging out-of-control fires at this point.

I think what will have a bigger say on where we finish is how other teams go. I can see Freo shooting up, and there's always a surprise or two. For ourselves, I'm not sure about top 4 but wouldn't be surprised to finish 5th or 6th.

The reason there's no cliff talk is because many outside the club are now aware of how many good young players we actually have (see Magpies list for opposite). In fact, this is the best crop of young players since our dynasty and if we have good run with injuries (which is in the lap of the footy Gods) then top 4 is more likely than NOT and GO CATS !!!

 

[Mr Meow]

As always, a good vs bad injury run can give about a 6 position split on finishing position. It makes these predictive exercises a bit futile, but I'll just assume an "average" run of injuries.

I see us finishing top 4 and being around the mark again.

Smith and (more) Holmes in midfield will address a weakness. Bruhn could have a much better season. Stewart pinch hitting should still work well.

Our forward line is really good but I see improvement in it as a unit.

Backline somewhat reliable without being dominant. Would love for a small defender and another smooth operating rebounder to emerge.

We need better seasons from ideally both Conway and SDK, but at least one of them.

If Dempsey, Mannagh, Neale and Humphries can all step it up another gear there's a fair bit of skill and talent to keep us going.

Danger, Stewart and Cameron probably have one more decent year together so we need to push hard for a flag.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Will they improve? Will they regress? The big questions facing Geelong in 2025​

​

Link

What do you think and why?

Top four.

Older brigade will stay relatively the same, stewart has already declined same with blicavs duncan etc and the losses of tuohy/hawk i feel will improve us with who is replacing them.

In a nutshell older brigade will stay relatively the same. Danger and stewart will just be solid contributors playing a role.

Bruhn holmes clark and or knevitt will go up a level, SDK and Neale will improve.. Humphries will go another level.

Dempsey will push AA selection.

Smith will improve us drastically as an inside mid with explosion.

Conway will be a regular b22 ruck getting 15-20 touches a game.

I have huge ambitions for 25. Bigger than 24. We will be nore well rounded

 

[My Tilly]

We need significant improvement from Conway and De Koning to become a premiership contender in what will be a tougher competition next year.

If De Koning plays to an All Australian calibre, the snowball effect is substantial.

I reckon we finish short of top four but certainly in contention again.

 

[stac]

Top 4 again
Young group to continue to improve
Smith and Martin will make us better
Guth back adds value
Team not as reliant on Danger

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

There are reasons to be positive the Cats could be top 6 in 2024. Even the top 4.

The midfield evolved in 2024, and if Holmes can play the whole season in beast mode, then we should be competitive with Smith, Bruhn, Cuthrie, Atkins, Paddy, Clark, and Bowes in the mix. I hope we see Toby Conway emerge from his ongoing injury problems, and he can put in a solid year and take the Ruck mantle from Stanley once and for all. I know Kane Cornes always carps on about Geelong's ruck issues, and he doesn't rate Conway, so I hope the kid can prove that big mouth wrong.

We still have the best forward line in the league (IMO), and if Jack Martin can get fit, that will only improve it, as he's an excellent player. I sometimes worry a bit about Stengle, as last year he started playing selfishly, which seemed so unGeelong-like to me. But these are small problems. I hope we see Ollie and Scratcher step up to another level in 2025.

I don't think we have the best defense in the league anymore because early last year, it was leaky and our biggest weakness. But it did improve as the season went on, especially with Humphries coming in. But we also have O'Sullivan in the wings, so I hope we see him play more in the AFL this year. We have a few guys near the end of their careers, so we need some new blood down back. Seeing Mullin improve so much during 2024 was great, and I hope he keeps that up in 2025. Let's hope SDK can finally get back to his 2022 form.

 

[Cataholic]

Really hard to predict with any certainty.

Bailey Smith will lift our midfield, and there is potential for improvement from our younger players.

Whether that potential improvement eventuates is the question, and what contribution will we get from Blitz, Stanley, Danger and Guthrie as age and the associated risk of injury looks over their shoulders??

Eyes will also be on Stewart and SDK......both had moments last season and we'll need them to lift this season.

Will Humphries get the second year blues?

Will Neale fulfill his potential, and be a leading forward who thereby reduces our tendency to bomb the ball?

Will we get Martin fit, and how / where does he play?

Stengle.....will be a watch.

Do we get COS into the backline?

Will we learn how to hand-pass?

Personally I don't know what to expect, so for me it'll be a season of discovery.

I'll be watching with keen, excited interest.

 

[Vdubs]

Really hard to predict with any certainty.

Bailey Smith will lift our midfield, and there is potential for improvement from our younger players.

Whether that potential improvement eventuates is the question, and what contribution will we get from Blitz, Stanley, Danger and Guthrie as age and the associated risk of injury looks over their shoulders??

Eyes will also be on Stewart and SDK......both had moments last season and we'll need them to lift this season.

Will Humphries get the second year blues?

Will Neale fulfill his potential, and be a leading forward who thereby reduces our tendency to bomb the ball?

Will we get Martin fit, and how / where does he play?

Stengle.....will be a watch.

Do we get COS into the backline?

Will we learn how to hand-pass?

Personally I don't know what to expect, so for me it'll be a season of discovery.

I'll be watching with keen, excited interest.

Great thoughts.
I also worry a bit about Holmes, now arguably our best player, and whether he wall fall victim to recurrent hamstring injuries.
Easy to say that without injuries we will be potent again, but reality is, injuries will affect us again, as with all teams. Just really comes down to which player and when.
All going well, I hope and think top 8.

 

[Mr Meow]

Really hard to predict with any certainty.

Bailey Smith will lift our midfield, and there is potential for improvement from our younger players.

Whether that potential improvement eventuates is the question, and what contribution will we get from Blitz, Stanley, Danger and Guthrie as age and the associated risk of injury looks over their shoulders??

Eyes will also be on Stewart and SDK......both had moments last season and we'll need them to lift this season.

Will Humphries get the second year blues?

Will Neale fulfill his potential, and be a leading forward who thereby reduces our tendency to bomb the ball?

Will we get Martin fit, and how / where does he play?

Stengle.....will be a watch.

Do we get COS into the backline?

Will we learn how to hand-pass?

Personally I don't know what to expect, so for me it'll be a season of discovery.

I'll be watching with keen, excited interest.

Stewart had a bad patch in 2024 during that streak of terrible games round 9-15ish. He was actually still very good otherwise, finishing 4th in our B&F and having a number of coaches vote winning cameos in midfield during the second half of the season. But I think people couldn't shake off that prior form slump and so dismissed how good he was round 1-7 and round 16ish onwards.

We do mark our best players harshly but from my perspective Cameron had the same consistency issues. It was just more week by week rather than an extended slump. Against the stronger sides he had a lot of quiet halves of football.

 

[Mr Meow]

Great thoughts.
I also worry a bit about Holmes, now arguably our best player, and whether he wall fall victim to recurrent hamstring injuries.
Easy to say that without injuries we will be potent again, but reality is, injuries will affect us again, as with all teams. Just really comes down to which player and when.
All going well, I hope and think top 8.

The glass half full version of this is that it is incredible he is already a prelim side's best player, and has further upside.

Averaging 21 games the past 3 seasons.

 

[Cataholic]

Great thoughts.
I also worry a bit about Holmes, now arguably our best player, and whether he wall fall victim to recurrent hamstring injuries.
Easy to say that without injuries we will be potent again, but reality is, injuries will affect us again, as with all teams. Just really comes down to which player and when.
All going well, I hope and think top 8.

My gut says we're a good chance IF:

we aren't overly impacted by injury (kind of obvious)

we get an improvement from the likes of Bruhn and Bowes

we get a solid contribution from our older guys

Neale and our imports are solid contributors, and

SDK and Stewart play more consistently.

A lot of ifs.

 

[Cataholic]

Stewart had a bad patch in 2024 during that streak of terrible games round 9-15ish. He was actually still very good otherwise, finishing 4th in our B&F and having a number of coaches vote winning cameos in midfield during the second half of the season. But I think people couldn't shake off that prior form slump and so dismissed how good he was round 1-7 and round 16ish onwards.

We do mark our best players harshly but from my perspective Cameron had the same consistency issues. It was just more week by week rather than an extended slump. Against the stronger sides he had a lot of quiet halves of football.

Fair point.

I overlooked Cameron.

Definitely need more consistency from him.

 

[patience]

Top 4. Barring being done in by injuries.

 

[Mr Meow]

Fair point.

I overlooked Cameron.

Definitely need more consistency from him.

I admit to being a tough marker of Cameron, not based on lack of endeavour, but simply because when he's "on" he still has unstoppable, top 5 player in the league potential. Which quite frankly we need against the best teams, close games and in those big knockout finals. Big bags of goals against weaker sides are nice but being a difference maker in crunch time is what separates the greats.

With Stewart I don't know how we're going to manage him. He fell into a big rut as a pure defender but it was when our whole team was shocking. Then he moved into midfield and instantly became a top 3 player for us again. But the plan changed by finals and he was a very good defender again who didn't really get run through midfield much. He might have done so once Holmes got injured in the Brisbane game, but to little effect?

Another uncertain player is Bowes. He had a number of good games in midfield but also some quiet ones. And then we throw him on a forward flank where he does nothing. I still don't get quite what role we want him to settle in. Does he replace Duncan at half back or Atkins in midfield? Will he keep playing a bit in multiple positions but is that stopping him gaining consistency?

 

[Cataholic]

I admit to being a tough marker of Cameron, not based on lack of endeavour, but simply because when he's "on" he still has unstoppable, top 5 player in the league potential. Which quite frankly we need against the best teams, close games and in those big knockout finals. Big bags of goals against weaker sides are nice but being a difference maker in crunch time is what separates the greats.

With Stewart I don't know how we're going to manage him. He fell into a big rut as a pure defender but it was when our whole team was shocking. Then he moved into midfield and instantly became a top 3 player for us again. But the plan changed by finals and he was a very good defender again who didn't really get run through midfield much. He might have done so once Holmes got injured in the Brisbane game, but to little effect?

Another uncertain player is Bowes. He had a number of good games in midfield but also some quiet ones. And then we throw him on a forward flank where he does nothing. I still don't get quite what role we want him to settle in. Does he replace Duncan at half back or Atkins in midfield? Will he keep playing a bit in multiple positions but is that stopping him gaining consistency?

Cameron fell into a damn big hole for a while there last season, and I don't think we can afford that same lapse this coming season if we're to be competitive, given Neale is still learning, Martin is an unknown and Stengle was a bit hot and cold in '24.

Stewart was thrown around a bit to try and break up the opposition who figured him out a bit last season, and given we've brought Smith in I'm assuming he'll go back to defense, but can he keep his cool and find a way around the opposition's tactics?

Bowes? I honestly don't know.

 

[cats_09]

Premiership

 

[Mr Meow]

Cameron fell into a damn big hole for a while there last season, and I don't think we can afford that same lapse this coming season if we're to be competitive, given Neale is still learning, Martin is an unknown and Stengle was a bit hot and cold in '24.

Stewart was thrown around a bit to try and break up the opposition who figured him out a bit last season, and given we've brought Smith in I'm assuming he'll go back to defense, but can he keep his cool and find a way around the opposition's tactics?

Bowes? I honestly don't know.

It's tricky with our small forwards, including Stengle, as I thought overall they were very consistent and damaging...just a poor night at the office for some in the prelim. Knockout finals are brutal like that. So ultimately I just want us to get to that position again for this group of players.

As much as Holmes breathed life into our midfield in those finals, the big bodies who got our midfield going in the back end of 2024 were Dangerfield and Stewart. I think Stewart has it in him to be Hodge like where he is a defender who pinch hits through the midfield. He and Holmes could alternate between midfield and half back. Much like Mannagh and Miers do with half forward and attacking wing.

Why I think we'll finish top 4 is that we do have a decent amount of talent and versatility, with coaches who generally find a way to maximise team output. There was one maddening period in 2024 where we tried to play 4 or 5 tall forwards but besides that the team management was pretty spot on.

 

[Cataholic]

It's tricky with our small forwards, including Stengle, as I thought overall they were very consistent and damaging...just a poor night at the office for some in the prelim. Knockout finals are brutal like that. So ultimately I just want us to get to that position again for this group of players.

As much as Holmes breathed life into our midfield in those finals, the big bodies who got our midfield going in the back end of 2024 were Dangerfield and Stewart. I think Stewart has it in him to be Hodge like where he is a defender who pinch hits through the midfield. He and Holmes could alternate between midfield and half back. Much like Mannagh and Miers do with half forward and attacking wing.

Why I think we'll finish top 4 is that we do have a decent amount of talent and versatility, with coaches who generally find a way to maximise team output. There was one maddening period in 2024 where we tried to play 4 or 5 tall forwards but besides that the team management was pretty spot on.

Yes, our small forwards were good overall, but we've changing the mix in '25 with the loss of Hawkins and Rohan, and the introduction of Neale and Martin.

It'll be interesting to see how / if that dynamic works.

I'm also interested in how Scott structures our midfield now we have Smith and Guthrie available, and how Stewart fits in that, if at all.

Stanley and Blitz will be an interesting watch, as will Conway.

We need to see SDK bounce back, and I'm keen to see a bit of COS.

So many potential variables.