The key questions for Geelong to answer over pre-season

As Geelong prepares to ramp its pre-season up again, they will be searching for answers in a bunch of areas.

Esava Ratugolea, Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins are all posing questions for Geelong this pre-season.

A premiership defence will begin ramping up at Geelong over the next week as the Cats dive back into pre-season.

With the full list set to get back on board, we pinpoint the questions that will need to be answered as the countdown to the season begins.

Who is in the box seat to cover for Tom Hawkins?

The goalkicking great won’t be too far away but foot surgery has limited Hawkins over summer.

If Tom Hawkins is out, who will partner Tyson Stengle and Jeremy Cameron up forward? Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He will still push for a return to the field early in the season but for now, he leaves a huge hole in the forward line.

The Cats have been keen to give Ollie Henry a run up the ground, but he could pair out of the goalsquare with Gary Rohan as dual full-forwards.

With two AFL games under his best, Shannon Neale is physically ready to play at the top level and spent most of 2022 as a focal point of Geelong’s VFL forward line, so he will also stake a claim on the role.

Can Jeremy Cameron get even better?

It’s harsh to expect more from a player who was arguably the best and most damaging in the AFL last year.

Jeremy Cameron leads Sam Simpson in running this pre-season. Picture: Alan Barber

Yet there are still layers to Cameron’s game that can be peeled back.

Cameron was a genuine X-factor when thrown in the midfield last year and the summer months could be a chance to add more time in the centre to his repertoire.

How will Esava Ratugolea slot back in?

The springy big man has returned to Geelong ready to contribute after he came close to a trade to Port Adelaide.

The Cats were keen to keep Ratugolea as key position insurance, given he can play at either end or in the ruck and he is one of the few players on Geelong’s list capable of covering for Sam De Koning.

Esava Ratugolea rolled back into Geelong. Picture: Alan Barber

He should continue to refine his defensive game and could be a genuine option as a tall back in 2023.

Which fringe player can earn some midfield minutes?

There is a huge list of players who didn’t play in last year’s grand final that are hoping to earn midfield minutes in 2023, such as Sam Menegola, Sam Simpson, Mitch Knevitt, Tanner Bruhn, Jack Bowes and Cooper Whyte.

Tanner Bruhn will be pushing for midfield minutes. Picture: Alan Barber

Max Holmes also didn’t play in the decider and is a lock in the Geelong best-22, while top-10 draft pick Jhye Clark is part of a group of teens hoping to get gametime.

It’s a tough team to break in to.

Who will become captain?

There has been no rush from Geelong in naming a new skipper to fill Joel Selwood’s boots, with a decision likely to come by early February.

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart have both indicated they are keen, with a bunch of other options among the senior group.

Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart are contenders for the captaincy. Picture: Mark Wilson

Do the Cats invite train on players down?

Geelong kept a spot on its list up its sleeve during the rookie draft late last year.

While other clubs have invited players down to pre-season to try out for empty spots – including former Cat Quinton Narkle at Richmond – there has been no movement yet at Geelong.

The Cats last year chose to keep their options open until the mid-season draft and that remains a serious possibility.

Toby Conway is eyeing improvement. Picture: Alan Barber

How far can Toby Conway improve?

This time last year, Geelong coaches were glowing about the impression Conway had made as a young ruck in his first pre-season.

With Rhys Stanley having minor surgery after the grand final, Conway could push his claims hard over the summer months and zero in on an early AFL debut in 2023.

Originally published as The key questions for Geelong to answer over pre-season