Coaching, Veterans, Support Staff, And Trade Targets: Breaking Down The Big Issues Facing Geelong

For the first time since 2015, the Cats did not make the playoffs, and the questions that have plagued the team for years can no longer be avoided. What can we trust, and what is just distraction?

Geelong, fresh off a premiership victory the year before, will not make the playoffs this year for the first time in eight years.

Is this the end of the road for the veteran's list? What significant off-the-field adjustments can we expect? Does an unexpected economic shift seem imminent? The road ahead for Chris Scott appears to be closed.

Jay Clark analyzes the major problems that have plagued the Cats during a disappointing season.

COACH FUTURE

Geelong is in discussions to extend Chris Scott's contract by two years because the club is convinced it has one of the greatest coaches in the league.

The new contract would keep the two-time premiership coach at the Cattery until the end of 2026, giving the team stability during a crucial transition phase.

Scott led the Cats to a dominant premiership victory in 2022, and he reported that 2023 was filled with difficulty after difficulty due to player availability.

The losses of Jeremy Cameron, Rhys Stanley, Cameron Guthrie, Mitch Duncan, Tom Stewart, and Jack Henry have been significant, especially after such a brief preseason.

The Cats' premiership heroes are now passing the torch to the next generation of midfielders like Tanner Bruhn, Max Holmes, and Jhye Clark.

With Tom Hawkins, Mark Blicavs, and Patrick Dangerfield remaining on the roster, the Cats' overall plan will be to strive to maintain their position at the top.

And Geelong is certain that Scott is the right person to lead the club as it attempts to balance on that tightrope.

Scott, in contrast to some other coaches, keeps his distance from the majority of the playing group.

With a 68.7 percent winning percentage throughout 308 games as a coach, including premierships in 2011 and 2022, this is one of the best records in the game.

In 2022, the club made a decisive move away from its sluggish and conservative playbook and into a more offensive and high-scoring strategy, which caught the opponents by surprise.

However, this year the Cats struggled to defend their own territory since Esava Ratugolea lost playing time at a crucial defensive position.

Even the Cats struggled to make headway past the middle of the field. Under Scott's leadership, Geelong has made the playoffs just twice in the past 13 seasons.

This incredible streak includes eight finishes in the top four.

With plans to reevaluate and relaunch the team over the offseason, the club will show its confidence in the coach by offering him a new contract.

Scott is the newest member of Bravo Management, the talent agency run by Liam Pickering.

SUPPORT STAFF

Simon Lloyd, one of the most admired and highly regarded AFL football managers, aspires to go up the ranks to become club chief executive.

He finished second to Jennifer Watt for North Melbourne's CEO position last year, and this year he is seen as a leading candidate for Hawthorn.

If he left to become Waverley's new CEO in place of the departed Justin Reeves, the Cats would suffer a major setback due to his superior football knowledge.

Shaun Grigg has been linked to a post under Richmond's new coach, so he may not remain as an assistant coach with the Cats.

Former Cats stars James Kelly, Matthew Egan, and Brad Ottens, as well as Melbourne's AFLW premiership captain Daisy Pearce, are on Scott's side. Assistant coaches Nigel Lappin (who joined Geelong in 2009) and Shane O'Bree (who joined in 2012) have also been with the club for quite some time.

THE VETERANS

The 2023 Cats roster was the oldest (mean age = 27.4) and most experienced (mean = 135.4 games).

While their profile was similar to the year they won the championship, some of the team's veterans are retiring; therefore, the team will be getting a new look for the upcoming season.

The Cats are aware that the timing of their exits must be staggered.

A year ago, the team lost their champions Joel Selwood and Shaun Higgins, their ruckman Jon Ceglar, 32, and winger Isaac Smith, 34, to retirement, as well as their goal kicker, Sam Menegola, 31.

Hawkins, 34, and Stanley, 32, appear to be back, and Duncan, 32, the seasoned playmaker, is signed for another season.

TRADE MOVES

Once again, Geelong will be in the spotlight during the upcoming transfer window.

The team needs a young gun like Darcy Parish from Essendon or Bailey Smith from the Bulldogs to help with the aging of the engine room.

The Cats are currently taking a passive stance, waiting to see what Smith's postseason plans are.

Parish is a free agent who would prefer to continue at Essendon, but contract negotiations between the Bombers and his management (Scott Lucas of Phoenix management) have stalled.

Cats may have to focus on guys like Adelaide's Matt Crouch or Collingwood's Finlay Macrae, who are both solid but not elite performers.

The Western Bulldogs' Toby McLean and Melbourne's Demon James Jordon both want more playing time, and Essendon's Bomber Dylan Shiel may be available.

After trading Jack Bowes to Gold Coast for its third-round pick in this year's national draft and trading Oliver Henry for its second- and fourth-round picks, Geelong is left with only the eighth overall selection.

Port Adelaide is the likely destination for Ratugolea's trade request; however, Hawthorn showed interest.

The Cats are reportedly looking to trade for Port Adelaide's future first-round pick in exchange for Ratugolea, 25, a crucial defender who was demoted to the VFL this season.

Since the Cats rejected his trade request from the previous season, list boss Andrew Mackie is prepared to play hardball in this discussion.

Brandon Parfitt, who has struggled to establish himself as a starter in the midfield, may also garner some interest.

SILVER LININGS

In his third year as a professional, agile forward Oliver Henry has improved dramatically, scoring 38 goals while kicking only 18 behinds.

Against Port Adelaide, his former team Collingwood, and North Melbourne, he has kicked three bags of four majors.

Henry has produced when the premiership spearhead is absent; two of those games were played without Hawkins.

And on Saturday night against the Western Bulldogs, they'll be without Jeremy Cameron (shoulder surgery), opening up a huge chance.

Since making the switch from Greater Western Sydney, Bruhn has had a respectable season, averaging 16 disposals per game, while Holmes has averaged 19 touches per game along with three clearances.

Toby Conway, a young ruck, and Shannon Neale, a crucial forward, have been out for the majority of the season with injuries.

BEST AND FAIREST

Despite perhaps not being as dominant at defensive back as he was last year, Stewart is still on track to earn his second club best and fairest.

Scott asked Stewart to make more of an impact in the middle of the field in the second half of the season.

Along with Dangerfield, who serves as captain, Cameron had a strong start to the year before a catastrophic shoulder injury derailed him.

Dangerfield worked hard in the engine room, but he was often left to carry the load without Cameron Guthrie's presence.

Ratugolea is someone to keep an eye on because he has a shot at finishing in the top five. After 22 games, he was the Cats' number four vote getter among AFL coaches.

Gryan Miers, a selfless forward, is poised for a high finish, Hawkins put up solid numbers once again, Mark Blicavs saw significant time in the middle, and Tom Atkins got some playing time as the season progressed.