Training Pre-Season 2026 chat

[Gavin Excell]

We're playing the long game Art.

You might have the surf coast and a funny shaped oval but we're building up our base less than 10 minutes away from the best Bahn Mi's in Melbourne .

VN Rolls eat your heart out.

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I live Mordialloc- its about 10 mins away so may go along

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

To play Afl Football you have to be dedicated , and Stengle isnt , his off field behaviour when playing at Geel after Eddie Betts left his role at Geel hasnt been up to scratch , thats the bottom line

But if we help him through it, if the club gets a return on investment even beyond what we got in the wonderful 2022 season, wouldn't you say it's a good thing? For both Tyson himself and the club in general?

 

[Art Vandelay_]

To play Afl Football you have to be dedicated , and Stengle isnt , his off field behaviour when playing at Geel after Eddie Betts left his role at Geel hasnt been up to scratch , thats the bottom line

To me this just looks like external guess work.
Yes he got blotto one night after a game and the club didn't see it as a big enough issue to take him to task over.

Fonzie style leap to suggest off that and his announced absence yesterday that he hasn't been dedicated after Betts left.

 

[Footy Smarts]

To play Afl Football you have to be dedicated , and Stengle isnt

109 games, premiership player, AA, multiple top 5 B&F finishes including in a premiership year.

Either Stengle is dedicated or your statement is wrong.

 

[Hamingja]

No, it's because prior to coming to Geelong he was given the boot by Adelaide for a number of off-field issues. Drink driving, driving an unregistered car, and (much, much worse) being caught in possession of cocaine. Then a year ago he was hospitalised after going to a nightclub.

So it's not exactly a massive stretch to think it might be more than just "personal leave".

Drink driving can kill someone. Driving an unregistered vehicle means you are uninsured in any accident. Both way, way, way worse than a possession charge.

 

[calder_daddy]

This is a poor call. You don't know anything about it. If you're ever struggling, I hope people show you more kindness than this.

Maybe I know more than you do.
But I’m glad you went the moral high ground

 

[Lana]

Looking at Stengle's number from last year, he took the 2nd most shots on goal for us last year. His shot accuracy was way down last year(34 goals from 85 shots). And he a lot more of his shots are set shots. Around half of those were from a set shot. which must be pretty high for a guy who is 175cm tall. But his goal assist are ridiculously efficient. He had 27 score assist that resulted in 24 goal assists. At that volume it would have probably been the highest in the competition.

Hard to tell if these are soft numbers. they probably are. I think we're well set up to cover a loss up forward. Even if he has been in pretty mediocre form for his own standards, he is still a really good player.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Looking at Stengle's number from last year, he took the 2nd most shots on goal for us last year. His shot accuracy was way down last year(34 goals from 85 shots). And he a lot more of his shots are set shots. Around half of those were from a set shot. which must be pretty high for a guy who is 175cm tall. But his goal assist are ridiculously efficient. He had 27 score assist that resulted in 24 goal assists. At that volume it would have probably been the highest in the competition.

Hard to tell if these are soft numbers. they probably are. I think we're well set up to cover a loss up forward. Even if he has been in pretty mediocre form for his own standards, he is still a really good player.

General forwards are our strongest area and mannagh is a gun and we still have henry to come in and a lot of levers we can pull. Id far rather lose him than a mid or sdk or blicavs (you cant cover sdk because kolo is injured and blitz is irreplaceable because our ruck stocks are crap). Stengle is a loss but it will be pretty easily covered.

 

[Pollywaffle]

But if we help him through it, if the club gets a return on investment even beyond what we got in the wonderful 2022 season, wouldn't you say it's a good thing? For both Tyson himself and the club in general?

Agreed. I think we have gone beyond the ‘choirboy’ sportsman stage.
Still, some form of attenuation needs to be exerted on all players in this strange paradoxical world we have created.

 

[Pollywaffle]

General forwards are our strongest area and mannagh is a gun and we still have henry to come in and a lot of levers we can pull. Id far rather lose him than a mid or sdk or blicavs (you cant cover sdk because kolo is injured and blitz is irreplaceable because our ruck stocks are crap). Stengle is a loss but it will be pretty easily covered.

Kolo still injured? I fear a Cam Guthrie scenario developing here.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Looking at Stengle's number from last year, he took the 2nd most shots on goal for us last year. His shot accuracy was way down last year(34 goals from 85 shots). And he a lot more of his shots are set shots. Around half of those were from a set shot. which must be pretty high for a guy who is 175cm tall. But his goal assist are ridiculously efficient. He had 27 score assist that resulted in 24 goal assists. At that volume it would have probably been the highest in the competition.

Hard to tell if these are soft numbers. they probably are. I think we're well set up to cover a loss up forward. Even if he has been in pretty mediocre form for his own standards, he is still a really good player.

His finishing really fell off a cliff last year. The way he was miskicking his set shots it looked like he had a groin injury or something. Just couldn't strike them at all.

On the other hand his tackling became elite last year. He was top 3 in the league for tackles inside forward 50.

 

[Partridge]

Drink driving can kill someone. Driving an unregistered vehicle means you are uninsured in any accident. Both way, way, way worse than a possession charge.

He's not the first player to be caught drink driving. There have been Geelong players in the not to recent past who've done the same. I can't recall too many on here demanding their sacking as a result.

Coke on the other hand is illegal to even possess. I'd love to know what universe it's ok for any player to be caught with it and not raise pretty big alarm bells.

 

[Pollywaffle]

He's not the first player to be caught drink driving. There have been Geelong players in the not to recent past who've done the same. I can't recall too many on here demanding their sacking as a result.

Coke on the other hand is illegal to even possess. I'd love to know what universe it's ok for any player to be caught with it and not raise pretty big alarm bells.

Yeah. Pepsi should also be illegal..

 

[Schmuck]

I know we’re only early into 2026… but does anyone have any intel into how our 1st and 2nd year players are looking? Anyone standing out on the track?
I’ve heard Hoffman looks the goods, although his disposal needs plenty of work

 

[geelong_crazy26]

No, it's because prior to coming to Geelong he was given the boot by Adelaide for a number of off-field issues. Drink driving, driving an unregistered car, and (much, much worse) being caught in possession of cocaine. Then a year ago he was hospitalised after going to a nightclub.

So it's not exactly a massive stretch to think it might be more than just "personal leave".

Even if it’s true that it’s more, I don’t think publicly embarrassing him and sharing it all over news outlets is going to help him. He does have a right to his privacy with such matters just like anyone else if he is having addiction problems again.

Scott has made it clear he will deal with things behind closed doors and not publicly shame his players. His interview with Caroline Wilson makes that point clear

 

[CatTricks]

Drink driving can kill someone.

I know its illegal, but what if the inebriated driver is a 'good bloke'? #pooandweelogic

 

[Partridge]

I know its illegal, but what if the inebriated driver is a 'good bloke'? #pooandweelogic

I'd change that to #footballerlogic to be honest. It's not like it applies to only one or two clubs.

 

[Mattttty]

Maybe I know more than you do.
But I’m glad you went the moral high ground

Good for you.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Who gives a **** about a bit of coke and its legality. Half the league would have dabbled with it, as would many in society that go watch AFL games.

 

[Tony Barber]

Precious AFL footballers who are pampered to , where do you draw the line

I can remember Peter Jess who was a player manager , and for a while he managed Ablett Snr

And he said Ablett had a go at him because Abletts drivers license had expired and he expected Jess to renew it for him !!!!- Unbelievable stuff

To play Afl Football you have to be dedicated , and Stengle isnt , his off field behaviour when playing at Geel after Eddie Betts left his role at Geel hasnt been up to scratch , thats the bottom line

Well this is just ridiculous.
For a start, Jess still managers players.

And remember that junior took him to court. That's how we know what junior was earning because its in the court documents.

And Betts wife is Stengles manager. So no, there is no parallel with Betts moving on.

 

[CHAWKS2]

Locker Buddies Episode 4 | Shannon Neale & Ollie Dempsey

With Opening Round around the corner, it's time to put our AFL players under the microscope and hit them with the tough questions! Shannon Neale and Ollie Dempsey kick the year off with another episode of Locker Buddies thanks to Simonds Homes.

www.geelongcats.com.au

Didn’t know where to post this but I enjoyed the chat (and will now go back and look at earlier ones in the series as I had missed these).

I think both of these boys are future leaders and represent our club well. I am actually though a bit nervous about 2026 for each of them as I really want them to both have another “step up year”.


Admit I was nervous about 2025 for Ollie given his break out in 2024 and I shouldn’t have worried as he definitely stepped up…but we now NEED both of them to be in our best 10 each week so that puts a bit more (maybe unfair) pressure on them each week (maybe I am being premature and it is 2027 and 2028 where we need them at that level?). Anyway my desire for them to have good years has me nervous in January!! Just want season to start

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

And for those who missed it

 

[jim boy]

Should we put a mental health watch on Blicavs and Henry? That is 48 hours in the air next stuck next to PFD who will be talking incessantly to anyone and everyone about anything.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Should we put a mental health watch on Blicavs and Henry? That is 48 hours in the air next stuck next to PFD who will be talking incessantly to anyone and everyone about anything.

"Oh sorry mate, i accidentally checked into the other side of the plane"