Preview Rd24 Geelong vs Richmond Sat Aug 23 2025 415 pm @ MCG

[CatsDoItBetter]

If the Neale suspension stands I’d love to see us give a game to Molier or Edwards. Have both shown good things in the vfl although Edwards has played more ruck. Molier reminds of Neale when he was in the vfl it’s be great experience for them to get a game at the mcg and reward for their effort during the vfl season.
I’m sure they’ll probably play Henry but I’d love to see the above.

 

[Reg Hickey]

Be disapointing for them...

I think that would put them 8th playing the Giants . Not a good match up for them for their first final. Win against Port and Dons by plenty gets them to 4th and two finals.. better outcome id say

No doubt better for them.

If they beat both Port and Essendon there is a good chance they could even get to 3rd and come up against us in a QF. Hawthorn are a solid chance against Brisbane at the Gabba - the Lions are a shaky 6-4 up there this year with losses to Melbourne, Collingwood, GWS and Sydney - and if that happens then it comes down to percentage. And with the worst Essendon side in a decade (which is saying something) to beat up on, the Suns would be every chance to go past both Hawthorn and Collingwood.

 

[Reg Hickey]

If Shannon doesn't play (and I think we should appeal), then I'd like to see COS set free in his place. I know he has played almost exclusively down back (he did play some minutes forward last year in the VFL), but he has so much talent, it would be an interesting option. And move Blitz down back to cover for him (but just for this week because Richmond do not have a Andrews/Lobb/Taylor for Blitz to nullify). It does mean Stanley has to do most of the ruckwork though.

In Rd 6, maybe. Not in Rd 24.

 

[Vdubs]

Polk has shown the better body of work across the season and it would be reward for his season

I've also fallen in love with Molier since he came into the VFL team

Too much information

 

[Reg Hickey]

Even if port win and they won't (they are awful) gc will beat essendon by a big amount and make it. Freo is the likely team to miss out.

Oh, Gold Coast will beat Essendon and make finals. Whoever loses the Dogs v Dockers game this week will miss.

If the Suns win both games they're a very good chance to make top 4 with a better percentage than any other side on 16 wins. And if Hawthorn beat Brisbane as well - not a longshot by any means given recent form and Brisbane's indifferent record at the Gabba this year - the Suns could well finish 3rd and come up against us at the 'G in a QF.

But I stand by my danger game call with Port. Yes they've been awful, but they still have some real top end talent and their absolute best will give the Suns plenty of issues a la their demolition of Hawthorn early in the season. Yes they could just as easily roll over meekly, but if they were ever going to be motivated to pull another effort out like the one against Hawthorn, this week would be the time.

 

[Vdubs]

In that case I'm not selecting OH - genuinely not sure his form warrants selection

Polk has looked a much more likely option in the VFL if we're selecting from that group of forwards

Otherwise, I could see Bews, Kolodjashnij or even Knevitt come into the side and a shifting of magnets on the board

CS wants OH in our team come finals, if he hits form- no better chance than this week.

 

[Turbocat]

CS wants OH in our team come finals, if he hits form- no better chance than this week.

If CS sees him as an option in the side then yes bring him in ..but I cant see where he fits atm. Our forwardline is working well and Martin has added something that OH cant.

OHenry performance this year has been substandard … and I dont think he has dominated in any single VFL game since being demoted. Id love to see if he could add a bit more to his game as if his forward role is not working , if he is not taking jump marks he struggles to impact in other roles

If Neale misses this week, he will be straight back in first week of finals ..so I dont see its a great situation for Henry , he would need to do something that is outstanding to stay in the side. I think its easier to debut a kid , give him a taste ..and let him see what the G is like.

 

[cats_09]

CS wants OH in our team come finals, if he hits form- no better chance than this week.

If there was no forced changes required, would OH even be in discussion to play against Richmond? Who would he replace without a forced change?

The unfortunate thing for Ollie is that he never really found solid form in the seniors this year, and while he showed glimpses of promise in the VFL, I'm just not sure he put in any consistent 4 quarter performances

The good thing for Ollie is that he signed a 2yr extension earlier this year meaning that time is still on his side, but I'm not sure 2025 is his year - and if the 23 who played Sydney are available in September, I don't think we'll be seeing his name on the team sheet, even as an emergency


I'm not sure he'd necessarily be first in line to replace Neale this week either and it wouldn't surprise me if the MC looked to shift other roles around with someone like Bews or Knevitt coming into the side instead

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Would be nice to bring some names in for a farewell, but I really hope we don’t mix with the team too much.

It’s been settled for awhile now without too many changes. I’d rather keep it that way going into the last game.

 

[cats_09]

If CS sees him as an option in the side then yes bring him in ..but I cant see where he fits atm. Our forwardline is working well and Martin has added something that OH cant.

OHenry performance this year has been substandard … and I dont think he has dominated in any single VFL game since being demoted. Id love to see if he could add a bit more to his game as if his forward role is not working , if he is not taking jump marks he struggles to impact in other roles

If Neale misses this week, he will be straight back in first week of finals ..so I dont see its a great situation for Henry , he would need to do something that is outstanding to stay in the side. I think its easier to debut a kid , give him a taste ..and let him see what the G is like.

Halfway through the first quarter yesterday was some of the most impactful football we've seen from OH this season - kicked a goal from the pocket, followed by a chase down tackle in the forward line rewarding him with a shot on goal; he looked switched on

The first shot on goal he slots as a drop punt, this time he decides to go a snap around the body and only just registers a behind - clearing those on the line, and that seemed to sap his confidence after that

All too often he seemed to go one handed for marks rather than two hands out in front. Halfway through the second quarter even the commentators raised that point after another drop that it was 4 or 5 marks he had dropped that he should have taken


It seemed a game that summed up his season - when he was on (early) he looked really good & lively up forward, but once there was a couple of dropped marks & a missed goal, you could easily forget he was playing as his dropped off

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Maybe on experience but on form Polk 4 goals compared to 2 to OH

No point debuting a first year kid who is 0 % chance for finals. It's either a farewell game for someone like bews or a game into a Henry or knevitt type who is next in if any injury.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Jack to FF and JK or Bews to defence - that could work also

It could be but in round 24 i think we keep things simple.

 

[The Casey Cat]

If the Neale suspension stands I’d love to see us give a game to Molier or Edwards. Have both shown good things in the vfl although Edwards has played more ruck. Molier reminds of Neale when he was in the vfl it’s be great experience for them to get a game at the mcg and reward for their effort during the vfl season.
I’m sure they’ll probably play Henry but I’d love to see the above.

Yep I wouldn't mind both coming in this week if Neale suspension holds up as no way I'd play Stanley either.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Long shot , but possible - here's hoping .

Our ideal (realistic) ladder IMO.

Would take the Hawks winning (yuck, but it helps) and the Suns winning out and picking up the remaining percentage.

Unlikely, but a long way from impossible:



We'd then play the Suns at the 'G.

There's no easy opponents in finals, but you'd have to say we'd rather play them than the Lions, Hawks, or Pies if given the option.

...And for good measure, the Giants and Lions will play each other, taking one of them out of the picture by proxy.

Because this is Geelong though, we'll probably lose to the Suns and then flog the Lions at the Gabba later on or something.

Expect the unexpected.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Polk has shown the better body of work across the season and it would be reward for his season

I've also fallen in love with Molier since he came into the VFL team

As Daz has said, there should already be a statue of Wellsy...but if Molier can end up anything like Neale's trajectory (or better) the great man is approaching God status.

Long way to go, but would be unbelievable to find two elite key forwards from such obscurity.

Lappin huge in this story too.

 

[kcattatac]

Jack to FF and JK or Bews to defence - that could work also

Knevitt was stiff to get dropped. He goes to wing then blitz and Stanley play ruck forward is the most likely scenario

 

[Vdubs]

If there was no forced changes required, would OH even be in discussion to play against Richmond? Who would he replace without a forced change?

The unfortunate thing for Ollie is that he never really found solid form in the seniors this year, and while he showed glimpses of promise in the VFL, I'm just not sure he put in any consistent 4 quarter performances

The good thing for Ollie is that he signed a 2yr extension earlier this year meaning that time is still on his side, but I'm not sure 2025 is his year - and if the 23 who played Sydney are available in September, I don't think we'll be seeing his name on the team sheet, even as an emergency


I'm not sure he'd necessarily be first in line to replace Neale this week either and it wouldn't surprise me if the MC looked to shift other roles around with someone like Bews or Knevitt coming into the side instead

True that, BUT there is a suspension, Neale is out, and we have a talented marking forward available who has some proven talent and big game form.

 

[fpm84]

If Neale's suspension stands, Ollie is the obvious inclusion. As things stand, he will likely be an emergency throughout our finals campaign, and first one in if we lost any of Jezza/Neale/Martin/Danger. I am still really bullish on his future, albeit he's had a poor season in part due to Danger's change in role and Neale's emergence.

That said, I hope we challenge the suspension and Shannon is free to play, so he can keep his momentum going against a likely date with Harris Andrews

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Harris Andrews

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28

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200cm

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98kg

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12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

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5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

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1.6

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MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

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9.0

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8.0

4star

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4.0

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2.0

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9.8

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5.0

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HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

in a fortnight.

 

[kickazz]

OH at FF

It would be good to give this a trial structurally, particularly if circumstances mean we need Neale to do more rucking? Or, if we try to have Neale sacrifice his game to keep Harris Andrews out of the way when/if we play Brisbane.

OH's top 20% games are more than good enough to make a difference in finals.

 

[kickazz]

Our ideal (realistic) ladder IMO.

Would take the Hawks winning (yuck, but it helps) and the Suns winning out and picking up the remaining percentage.

Unlikely, but a long way from impossible:

View attachment 2399647

We'd then play the Suns at the 'G.

There's no easy opponents in finals, but you'd have to say we'd rather play them than the Lions, Hawks, or Pies if given the option.

...And for good measure, the Giants and Lions will play each other, taking one of them out of the picture by proxy.

Because this is Geelong though, we'll probably lose to the Suns and then flog the Lions at the Gabba later on or something.

Expect the unexpected.

Yeah I'd take that.

If you do a predictor with all favourites winning, we get Brisbane at the 'G first week, and if we lose that, an elimination against GWS the week after: Basically facing 67% of our year's losses in the first two weeks!

 

[cats_09]

True that, BUT there is a suspension, Neale is out, and we have a talented marking forward available who has some proven talent and big game form.

The problem for OH though is that at the moment he doesn't look like a marking forward and he really does look down on confidence

Molier clunked 10 marks on the weekend, Polk 6 and Henry just the 4 having dropped a fair number more than that

Henry's first 10 rounds last season was the best his looked in the hoops and he looked ready to take that next step, but he hasn't looked close to that player since, and not sure he's "big game form" really extends beyond a single match - no doubting his performance in the prelim last year but that really is an outlier for his last 18 months

Prior to his omission this season he had played in 6 of our losses, kicked just 3 goals in those 6 matches & subbed out on 3 occasions


I don't know anyone who wouldn't love to see him take a game by the scruff of the neck & just dominate, but he doesn't look like that player at the moment - we've got players in the VFL who've shown much better form over an extended period that I'd feel would comfortable with what they'd contribute this weekend

 

[Phill Hendo]

If Scratch is to miss, it has to be Ollie Henry or Mitch Knevitt that come in. These are the 2 that would come in if we have and injury in the finals. No room for sentimental send off games. The players understand that.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

All my mind is saying for this one is get the points… and praying zero injuries.

I can see tigers wanting to bash us up a little going into finals

 

[fpm84]

If Scratch is to miss, it has to be Ollie Henry or Mitch Knevitt that come in. These are the 2 that would come in if we have and injury in the finals. No room for sentimental send off games. The players understand that.

Yep, if it was round 15 I'd be more than happy to be debuting someone, but it's our last game pre-finals and we shouldn't be looking beyond the finals squad.

I'd say the only players who didn't play v Sydney and would be considered for senior selection are O Henry, Bews, Duncan (?), Knevitt and maybe Clark. Time has surely run out for Cam Guth or Kolo.

If Shannon misses, options could be a) play Ollie in his role, b) bring Bews in and play a defender (J Henry?) forward, c) Knevitt in as sub and Danger/Martin play almost solely inside 50 to cover the loss of Neale.

 

[cats_09]

Geelong Diary: What's on the menu in Round 24​

There is plenty of things to look forward to this week with Geelong looking to secure a spot in the top four, while the AFLW Cats head to Adelaide for another blockbuster clash
By Cats Media
Aug 19, 2025, 10:15 am


The most exciting part of the year is just around the corner, with September and the AFL Finals fast approaching, while the AFLW Cats also kicked off their season.

Geelong head up the highway on Saturday afternoon to take on Richmond, a win will lock in a top two spot and a home Qualifying Final at the MCG.

The AFLW Cats will be back in action on Sunday in Adelaide, looking to secure their first win of the 2025 season.

Take a look at everything you can expect to see on Geelong channels this week, proudly presented by Lee Kum Kee.

TUESDAY​

1.00pm - Get a full breakdown of Geelong's Finals scenarios heading into the last round of the home and away season.
3.30pm - After dominating for the Cats in Round 1, Mikayla Bowen will front the media for a press conference.
3.45pm - Catch up on all the AFLW action with Claudia Gunjaca, Becky Webster and Georgie Rankin on this week's episode of 'Yeah the Girls.'
4.00pm - The Deakin AFLW Health Update will be released ahead of Geelong's Round 2 clash with the Crows.
5.00pm - Geelong's AFL GMHBA Health Update will also be released on Tuesday.

WEDNESDAY​

5.00pm - This week's Time Cat-Sule will take a look back at a classic Geelong comeback against Richmond from the 2016 season.

THURSDAY​

11.30am - Get a full breakdown of Richmond's strengths with the Cats 'Opposition Analysis.'
6.20pm - Geelong will name their AFL team for Saturday's clash with the Tigers.
6.20pm - The AFLW Cats will also announce their initial squad for Sunday's match against Adelaide.

FRIDAY​

10.00am - Catch up on all the main details for Saturday's clash with the Tigers in the Cats match preview.
12.00pm - Take a look at the main things to watch in Adelaide with the AFLW opposition analysis.
2.00pm - Cats coach, Chris Scott

Chris Scott

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49

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16.6

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11.2

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5.4

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5.1

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1.6

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0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

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10.2

4star

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3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

will front the media for his weekly press conference.
3.00pm - AFLW coach, Dan Lowther will also speak to media on Friday afternoon.
5.00pm - Geelong will finalise their AFLW team, confirming the ins and outs for Sunday afternoon.

SATURDAY​

4.15pm - The Cats fight for a top two spot when they take on Richmond at the MCG.
9.00pm - Tune back into Geelong's website to catch up on all the action from Saturday's game through the match report, highlights, press conferences and post game interviews.

SUNDAY​

3.05pm - Geelong's AFLW team will be back in action, taking on Adelaide at Thomas Farms Oval.

Geelong Diary: What's on the menu in Round 24

There is plenty of things to look forward to this week with Geelong looking to secure a spot in the top four, while the AFLW Cats head to Adelaide for another blockbuster clash

www.geelongcats.com.au