Club Focus Geelong 2020 - Smith, Cameron, Higgins, Holmes, Neale, Stevens

[Lore]

Data from footywire. To check the draft order (updated weekly) see the thread here.

 

[Lore]

This is a Cats-specific version of the player contracts & statistics spreadsheet pinned to the top of this forum. It summarises your players' contract situations, experience, ages and heights. The data is from footywire, and the spreadsheet will update itself when footywire is updated. It may contain some errors, I do not have the ability to update them so we just have to deal with what footywire gives us. It's the best we can do for the moment.





According to this data, Geelong are:
- 4th tallest, averaging 188.8cm
- 2nd heaviest, averaging 87.6kg
- 3rd oldest with an average age of 24.5 years
- 4th most experienced, averaging 76.8 career games


Your picks in the first five rounds of the 2019 national draft are:
1st round pick (tied to Geelong - currently pick 18)
2nd round pick (tied to Geelong - currently pick 36)
3rd round pick (tied to Geelong - currently pick 54)
5th round pick (tied to Geelong - currently pick 90)


To check the draft order (updated weekly) see the thread here.

Who retires, who is traded, and who is re-signed?

What do you see as the gaps in the list? How could those gaps be filled? Via trade or from the draft?

What will it take to get it all done, given the current trade and draft value on hand?

 

[Lore]

Bump. What do you think Cats fans? What happens if Kelly leaves - who do you get to replace him?

 

[The 747]

Bump. What do you think Cats fans? What happens if Kelly leaves - who do you get to replace him?

I think Kelly will go and we will get WC 2019 and 2020 firsts.

Needs: a good ruck, not having one is major reason why our finals record is no good has been no good since Ottens left.
Need quality mids, to replace Kelly and also in general so we don't have to put any of Abledangerwood in there full time.
Need forwards in the medium term - heavy reliance on Hawkins and the other KPF on our list are still mooing.

Taylor may retire in which case Henderson becomes best 22, if Taylor goes on expect Henderson to look elsewhere.

Word is clubs are making offers to Nakia, our offer will not be a big one but he will or has been offered a contract.

I expect if players become available that fit our needs we will be opening to trading for them as usual.

Other posters will know more about peripheral players on the list and OOC.

 

[dazbroncos]

2019
4. Gary Ablett 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2017-10-19/ablett-returns-to-the-cats
5. Nakia Cockatoo 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2017-06-22/future-four-commit-to-cats
7. Harry Taylor 2019 (free agent) http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2017-12-22/selwood-and-taylor-sign-on
9. Zac Smith 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2015-10-19/cats-snare-zac-smith-from-suns
11. Tim Kelly 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2017-11-24/pick-24-get-to-know-tim-kelly
12. Wylie Buzza 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/...d=1080852&jb=7&camefrom=EMCL_1805124_72004793
16. Scott Selwood 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2015-10-12/another-selwood-becomes-a-cat
24. Jed Bews 2019 http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-20/son-of-a-gun-sticks-with-cats-for-two-more
31. Jordan Cunico 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/...d=1080852&jb=7&camefrom=EMCL_1805124_72004793
36. Blake Shlensog 2020 - http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2018-11-23/schlensog-joins-as-category-b-rookie
41. Jermain Jones 2019 http://www.geelongcats.com.au/news/2018-10-12/quartet-sign-on

This is what we have tracked for contracts and OOC for 2019.

Atkins is signed until end of 2020.

As for TK - Id love him to stay but feel he'll go but not for a poor return. 2 x RD 1 and not later round picks.

GO Catters

 

[dazbroncos]

For reference if you are interested in the BF GFC list of contracts and links to support them

Senior - Player contract status list

Following in from a thread on the main board I copied this from fanfooty and not sure how accurate it is UPDATED Dec 8 2025 - List finalised and numbers allocated. Contract status expiry by year 2026 1. Rhys Stanley 2026 Rhys Stanley Article Link 2. Jay Polkinhorne 2026: Jay Polkinghorne...

www.bigfooty.com

GO Catters

 

[Turbocat]

Bump. What do you think Cats fans? What happens if Kelly leaves - who do you get to replace him?

Herald Sun mentions Brander today. I doubt it to be honest. A couple of very early picks with something going back is about as good as we will get and probably get less than that. Something like the Treloar trade for eg.

 

[Hamingja]

Contested ball and clearance winning midfielders ~185cm+. Short mids need not apply.

Young CHB prospect to develop in the VFL.

They are the two areas I'd be looking at with our better picks in the first two rounds of the draft this year.

When we drop down the ladder a bit and have a better pick that is when I would look at a top key forward prospect to replace Hawkins. At this stage I think we just need to see what we have in Ratugolea and Kreuger, Schlensog also, although he is a much longer shot. Can't keep adding speculative forwards with late picks though as they just get in each other's way in the VFL and end up having to be played out of position which is no good for anyone and hinders development of what you already have.

We have the same problem with rucks. If there is a better mature option on the market than Stanley then we would have to take a look. Otherwise I think it is a 2020 problem once we can delist all the list clogging rucks we have contracted for next year and clear out the VFL for development players.

 

[Scotland]

30 or older: Tuohy, Henderson, Selwood, Hawkins, Taylor, Ablett. I would expect Tuohy, Selwood, Hawkins to be there for at least another 2 years, the rest TBA.

I am interested to see what path Geelong go down if Kelly leaves and they can't secure a roughly equivalent replacement. Worst case for the short term is losing Kelly and Ablett and only getting draft picks in return. Best case retaining Kelly and Ablett playing on another year. Everything else somewhere in the middle. If Geelong end up with two first round picks 14-18 this year and two first round picks TBA next year, do they look for the next Constable, Clark, Fogarty etc. or go chasing experienced players? Or is that decision influenced by how 2020 pans out? Most of the Geelong team didn't come from early draft picks or blockbuster trades. They are very good at recruiting in the pick 20-50 zone.

 

[Hamingja]

Most of the Geelong team didn't come from early draft picks or blockbuster trades. They are very good at recruiting in the pick 20-50 zone.

The elite players that we do have and will ultimately have to replace soon did come from high draft picks though.

Danger top 10
Selwood top 10
Hawkins F/S but on an open market would have been pick 1, pick 2 at worst maybe since Gibbs was dominating SANFL as a kid and maybe Carlton would have still went for the mid in front of a tall

You can find some "nice" players later in the draft and the odd defender, tagger, small forward, ruck (though not for us ) that can be developed into "elite" players in their positions but invariably the guys doing the heavy lifting are from the pointy end of the draft or F/S or academy selections or pre-draft selections for the start up clubs etc.

Kelly is a once in 10, 20 year player that has broken the mould but it's extremely rare. Maybe have to go back to Sam Mitchell before him?

I think we will load up again for 2020 and then have to dip down the ladder a bit and bring in some top 10 pick talent after that. Not a gutting of the club Melbourne, Brisbane, Carlton style but more like the Pies recently where they had a few years missing the finals and brought in Treloar, De Goey and Stephenson from the top 10 picks.

 

[Shadow89]

Bump. What do you think Cats fans? What happens if Kelly leaves - who do you get to replace him?

Ablett and Taylor will both go another year, and Kelly will most likely go. S. Selwood will retire and Smith, Buzza, Jones, Cunico and possibly Henderson and Cockatoo will retire/get delisted/be traded (depending on need/desire to play on elsewhere/change of clubs etc.)

Ruck is our most immediate concern, and has been that way since the Ottens era. We needed a dominant ruckman then to win premierships, and we need it now. Can't see us getting past Nic Nat this year with only Stanley at the helm. Ratugolea is the wild card in that area, which is why he's so important.

Big bodied mid to replace Sel in the middle is a must, and could come from either the draft or via trade. Can see us chasing someone, but also retaining picks (rather than going too far one way or the other) as our list is in pretty decent shape. If Kelly leaves, we'll most likely either have 2 first rounders or a first rounder and a decent player, depending on outcomes. Menegola returning fills that need in the short term, but someone like Cockatoo finding fitness would really put us in a much better position if Kelly leaves.

Have been linked to the Hill brothers, Coniglio and Cameron, but don't see us getting any of those. Think it'll be a bit more obscure and a look at filling needs, rather than 'best available' as we did for far too long.

This year and 2020 is probably the last year that we can really 'contend' given that our stalwarts in Taylor, Hawkins and Sel are coming to the end of their careers. 2021 at a stretch, but who knows how the latter two's bodies will be holding up at that point.

Interesting times ahead for us, but I think, as I've alluded to in other bf threads, our drafting from the last 3 years has been elite.

2016 notable players we drafted:

Parfitt
Stewart
Ratugolea
O'Connor
Henry
Narkle

2017 notable players we drafted:

Fogarty
Constable
Kelly (which improves our side either if he stays or goes via much better draft picks)
Miers

2018 notable players we drafted:

Clark
Atkins
Kreuger

with others showing good signs.

Minimal trading in the past 3 years, with Rohan, Dahlhaus, Duncan, Guthrie, Menegola, Dangerfield, Stanley, Blicavs, Bews, Kolodjashnij, alongside the aforementioned as players under 30 with 3 years or more left, means that we have a very decent core of which to build off. I can't say what effect losing Kelly will have, but I know that we have at least 2 more years of Hawkins and Selwood to go and at least another year of Taylor and Ablett, which gives us 2 drafts/trade periods to fill the 'gaps' in our list.

 

[Yoda_]

I’d offer a sneaky 3rd for Charlie Constable to come to Essendon

 

[Yoda_]

And what’s the go with Wylie Buzza?

Averaging 2 goals a game at VFL level this year but still can’t get a look in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CatToTheFuture]

I’d offer a sneaky 3rd for Charlie Constable to come to Essendon

Fairly certain that phone call results in you getting hung up on. He'd be playing seniors if he could run out games but he hasn't built the fitness base yet.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

And what’s the go with Wylie Buzza?

Averaging 2 goals a game at VFL level this year but still can’t get a look in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pretty sure he is going to be delisted this year. Would have earned a game in most teams but i think there's a few ahead of him in the MCs opinion.

 

[DanA]

Bit of a cleanout year I reckon.

Retired:
H.Taylor, Scooter, & Ablett

Delisted:
Buzza, Zac Smith,

Traded:
Kelly

Leaving six new additions.

Free Agency/Trade (2 additions)
- We'll shop around for an experience ruck upgrade on Stanley
- We might look for a winger allowing Duncan to push inside
- Constable will be earmarked as Kelly's replacement if he can build a tank
- Krueger will be earmarked as Hawkins replacement long-term
- Henderson will likely come back in for Harry Taylor

Draft: (4 draft picks)
- We'll look in the draft for a big-bodied midfielder
- Maybe a ruck/KPF project if the right one is available

 

[dazbroncos]

Fairly certain that phone call results in you getting hung up on. He'd be playing seniors if he could run out games but he hasn't built the fitness base yet.

Dodo do talking to a dial tone really fast there.

Go Catters

 

[CatToTheFuture]

There is basically only one deficiency in the cats game style that is at serious risk of getting worse if we don't address it and it's a doozy. Consider the following:

1 - For 2019 the cats are ranked 10th in clearances with 607
2 - Tim Kelly this year has registered 106 clearances
3 - having single handedly won nearly a fifth of the cats total clearances Tim is a serious risk of leaving
4 - the next best clearance winner for the cats is Dangerfield with 78, then Selwood with 57. Danger is 29 and Selwood is 31.

Strategy 1: Keep Tim

Strategy 2: I dunno, pray?

The problem might be solved if the cats had a ruck that would consistently provide first use but I don't see much in the way of viable trade targets. The way to solve this it seems is with contested possession and speed. Coniglio is i would think long odds to consider the money on offer at the cats. So, on the assumption that Tim goes west I'd be looking for:

1. Best contested mid available at first pick. The Freo pick (currently 6) could possibly be the earliest in club history (currently 7) but even if it's ours or west coasts in the 15-18 range stick to best contested mid available.

2. Steak knives young ruck - Bailey Williams or Sean Darcy. Both very different types and may never be elite but worth a shot. If they're not keen on a trade I'd consider Luke Jackson at the draft but at a lower value proposition than contested mids so unlikely to be available. If no steak knives or LJ available then I wouldn't go out of my way for one.

3. Special mention - if the swans or Freos second is available in the trade then depending how the clubs read the draft the cats might value picking up Cooper Stephens there ahead of other clubs based purely on him being a falcon.

4. Later pick on a more speculative KPD. View a 2 year development horizon as appropriate given Harry and Hendos ages

Not fair to name them but I have 5 on my list to release to the industry though a couple could stay. Possible retirements of Ablett and Harry Taylor unfortunately but would prefer both stick it out another year.

That's 6-8 spots. For which we get 1-2 1st or early second rounder mids coming in, 1 ruck either traded or drafted in. One later KPD pick. The rest of the spots can just be best available target in any list spot.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Bit of a cleanout year I reckon.

Retired:
H.Taylor, Scooter, & Ablett

Delisted:
Buzza, Zac Smith,

Traded:
Kelly

Leaving six new additions.

Free Agency/Trade (2 additions)
- We'll shop around for an experience ruck upgrade on Stanley
- We might look for a winger allowing Duncan to push inside
- Constable will be earmarked as Kelly's replacement if he can build a tank
- Krueger will be earmarked as Hawkins replacement long-term
- Henderson will likely come back in for Harry Taylor

Few things I disagree with there:
-Ablett is playing well enough to get another year if his body can hold up to 15-16 games which I think it can (and he's even more needed if Kelly goes)
-Cunico will surely go, 5 years on the list and not getting regular games, you can only afford to keep one of that injured type IMO and Cockatoo is rated ahead of him, he will go unless Cocky asks for a trade
-Smith and Scooter are certain outs, Taylor probably pulls the pin, and I agree on Buzza.
-Bews is FA but sounds like he will get a new deal.
-Another year for Henderson unless he wants more games at another club, don't have him and Taylor go in the same year
-Zuthrie and Simpson will get elevated because they have done their max years on the rookie list and have contracts for next year already
-Cockatoo will get offered another year, unless another club poaches him ala McCarthy he stays
-Narkle is contracted but seems to be out of favour, I can see a trade happening there if another club offers him more regular games. Ditto Parsons who is also contracted but has been am emg a lot this year.

I would expect around 4 picks once trades and rookie elevations and any ins are done.

I think the need for inside mids is overrated, TBH with Constable developing and Parfitt (thats his best position long term) and Cockatoo if we can get him fit I think we already have them. Another good one would be nice but I think the issue is more our midfield setups are poor rather than personnel.
Agree on the winger, we really lack players who can get out of the stoppage at speed and hit forwards lace out (Danger has the first one covered but his kicking can be inconsistent) which is why Kelly is crucial and it becomes more of a need if he goes. Someone like Brad Hill would be ideal but whether we can swing that I don't know.
My issue is Kreuger is developing well but to me he looks like more of an athletic third tall (think Adelaide's Lynch) than a pack marking FF which our structure needs. I know Hawkins has another 2 years contracted but he is 31..does the club think Ratugolea can develop quick enough to become that player in a year or two when Hawk winds down? Or do they think Sav is better in the ruck? Depending on the answer to that we may need to chase a mature KPF now as our window is the next couple of years and we can't afford to waste it.
I agree we need a better ruck the issue is Stanley is B grade and there's a lot of those types across 18 clubs. There's little point trading picks/players for a ruck the same age as Stanley unless theres a clear talent upgrade and the elite rucks are hard to get. It might be a different scenario if we bring in a young ruck as all ours are 26-29 so we need a better age spread.

Player wise
-Steven is probably a good in to target if St Kilda will give him up cheap because he bridges the gap for a couple of years while other mids develop and allows Danger to play forward more. If they want a R1 though forget it.
-I think if Kelly can be persuaded to choose Freo the two players you would look at targeting would be B Hill and Darcy as per the above reasons. Both are contracted though so that may not happen.
-I think whatever we get for Kelly (hopefully 2 R1s) we wont use solely at the draft because of where our window is at, we may look to either trade for A grade mature players or younger players who have had a couple of years in the system and might be able to play senior footy next year (for example guys like Bonar at GWS aren't a bad option similar to what Carlton did with Setterfield).
-I would assume we will ask about Brander again if TK goes to WCE and WCE will probably object again. Whether he's more keen on a trade after another year in the WAFL I don't know.
-I would assume we will have a fairly big go at Cameron with big $ and whatever picks we get for TK but I can't see GWS releasing him this year, saving the cash and making him a big FA offer next year is probably more likely.

 

[Bowski]

What does the future hold for Zuthrie in the eyes of Geelong supporters? I seem to recall him absolutely dominating a JLT match a few years back.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Watch out for Kreuger. Suspect he'll get games early next season.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

What does the future hold for Zuthrie in the eyes of Geelong supporters? I seem to recall him absolutely dominating a JLT match a few years back.

Hes contracted for next year so gets elevated and stays i assume. Is playing well in the vfl just needs to put on more size and develop more physically to be ready for AFL level. He probably gets more games next year once Taylor retires although we have some good competition for spots in defence.

 

[Warhorse]

What does the future hold for Zuthrie in the eyes of Geelong supporters? I seem to recall him absolutely dominating a JLT match a few years back.

Serviceable depth. Role player

 

[DanA]

Few things I disagree with there:
-Ablett is playing well enough to get another year if his body can hold up to 15-16 games which I think it can (and he's even more needed if Kelly goes)
-Cunico will surely go, 5 years on the list and not getting regular games, you can only afford to keep one of that injured type IMO and Cockatoo is rated ahead of him, he will go unless Cocky asks for a trade
-Smith and Scooter are certain outs, Taylor probably pulls the pin, and I agree on Buzza.
-Bews is FA but sounds like he will get a new deal.
-Another year for Henderson unless he wants more games at another club, don't have him and Taylor go in the same year
-Zuthrie and Simpson will get elevated because they have done their max years on the rookie list and have contracts for next year already
-Cockatoo will get offered another year, unless another club poaches him ala McCarthy he stays
-Narkle is contracted but seems to be out of favour, I can see a trade happening there if another club offers him more regular games. Ditto Parsons who is also contracted but has been am emg a lot this year.

I would expect around 4 picks once trades and rookie elevations and any ins are done.

I think the need for inside mids is overrated, TBH with Constable developing and Parfitt (thats his best position long term) and Cockatoo if we can get him fit I think we already have them. Another good one would be nice but I think the issue is more our midfield setups are poor rather than personnel.
Agree on the winger, we really lack players who can get out of the stoppage at speed and hit forwards lace out (Danger has the first one covered but his kicking can be inconsistent) which is why Kelly is crucial and it becomes more of a need if he goes. Someone like Brad Hill would be ideal but whether we can swing that I don't know.
My issue is Kreuger is developing well but to me he looks like more of an athletic third tall (think Adelaide's Lynch) than a pack marking FF which our structure needs. I know Hawkins has another 2 years contracted but he is 31..does the club think Ratugolea can develop quick enough to become that player in a year or two when Hawk winds down? Or do they think Sav is better in the ruck? Depending on the answer to that we may need to chase a mature KPF now as our window is the next couple of years and we can't afford to waste it.
I agree we need a better ruck the issue is Stanley is B grade and there's a lot of those types across 18 clubs. There's little point trading picks/players for a ruck the same age as Stanley unless theres a clear talent upgrade and the elite rucks are hard to get. It might be a different scenario if we bring in a young ruck as all ours are 26-29 so we need a better age spread.

Player wise
-Steven is probably a good in to target if St Kilda will give him up cheap because he bridges the gap for a couple of years while other mids develop and allows Danger to play forward more. If they want a R1 though forget it.
-I think if Kelly can be persuaded to choose Freo the two players you would look at targeting would be B Hill and Darcy as per the above reasons. Both are contracted though so that may not happen.
-I think whatever we get for Kelly (hopefully 2 R1s) we wont use solely at the draft because of where our window is at, we may look to either trade for A grade mature players or younger players who have had a couple of years in the system and might be able to play senior footy next year (for example guys like Bonar at GWS aren't a bad option similar to what Carlton did with Setterfield).
-I would assume we will ask about Brander again if TK goes to WCE and WCE will probably object again. Whether he's more keen on a trade after another year in the WAFL I don't know.
-I would assume we will have a fairly big go at Cameron with big $ and whatever picks we get for TK but I can't see GWS releasing him this year, saving the cash and making him a big FA offer next year is probably more likely.

Not that dissimilar in opinion.

- I agree we should offer Ablett another season. My best guess is he has tentative plans to hang up the boots (that could easily change).
- I think Cunico gets shifted to the rookie list as reparation for the injury.
- I see Krueger emerging as an undersized full-forward in the De-Goey/Danger mold, maybe even Jack Darling. whose 191cm
- I don't see Sav as ever being a pure ruck and think an undersized full-forward long-term could compliment.
- I think Hawkins has 3+ years so don't see a rush (but it is something to look for)

I see inside midfielder as a bigger need because IMO Parfitt is already in the midfield rotation and we'll need to replace Kelly immediately and Joel in the not too distant future.

 

[DanA]

What does the future hold for Zuthrie in the eyes of Geelong supporters? I seem to recall him absolutely dominating a JLT match a few years back.

I don't think you can assess the lad until he has an AFL ready body. He's not there yet but maybe next year.