AFL 2024: Geelong young gun Tanner Bruhn says he is forever indebted to Giants and has no regrets about move

The Giants were a kick away from a grand final as the Cats slumped after Tanner Bruhn’s trade move. He reflects on his first year as a Cat and his hopes for 2024.

Tanner Bruhn in action last season. Pictur: Getty Images

Emerging Cat Tanner Bruhn says he is “forever indebted” to his former club Greater Western Sydney but has no regrets about leaving despite the Giants’ preliminary final finish last year.

Bruhn requested a trade to Geelong at the end of 2022 and played 19 games in his first season of a three-year deal at the Cats.

The 21-year-old conceded it was somewhat difficult watching the Giants’ stunning back-half of the year, where they came within a kick of making a grand final against premiers Collingwood, while Geelong missed finals for the first time since 2015.

But Bruhn, who played 28 senior games for the Giants in his two seasons there, relished being back home in Geelong and was happy for his former teammates, some of which he is still close with.

Tanner Bruhn was traded from the Giants at the end of 2022. Picture: Getty Images

“A little bit (tough), I guess it was. Obviously I’ve got some great mates up there so it was it was pleasing to see those boys do well after the couple of years that they had,” Bruhn said.

“But they’re a great side and they’ve got some really good players. I think everyone sort of knew the footy they can play was just a matter of time before they could put it together.

“There was a few factors like one being (more opportunity) but I mean, I had plenty of opportunity at the Giants, it wasn’t necessarily just about that.

“Nice to come home to family and friends and obviously where I grew up, I grew up barracking for Geelong as well so that was a big factor to play football in Victoria for such a big club.

“The Giants were great for me and I’ll be forever indebted to them, but I’m really enjoying being back home now.”

A first-round draft pick from the 2020 draft, Bruhn took another step in his development last season as one of the beneficiaries of a long-term injury to Cameron Guthrie and a stint on the sidelines for Patrick Dangerfield.

The dynamic small showed some exciting glimpses and is aiming to play a more prominent role in the centre square in 2024, lighting up the Cats’ match simulation last week as a full-time midfielder.

Bruhn has been putting in work with his fellow midfielders and ruckmen, including former Geelong Falcons teammate Toby Conway, and has prioritised building his fitness over the off-season.

Bruhn said his dominant match simulation outing last week will fill him with confidence that he can improve again this season.

Tanner Bruhn had a promising first season as a Cat. Picture: Michael Klein.

“I’ve always known that my footy is up there and I can compete with the best so I’m just looking forward to working with all the boys and midfield group, forward and the backs seeing what we can achieve this year,” Bruhn said.

“I think we didn’t quite achieve what we wanted to as a midfield group last year and we’re only looking to get better so if that means I can step up and pick up the workload, definitely.

“I think (more midfield opportunity) really helped me, towards the middle half of the year I think. I was able to take a little bit of a load off ‘Pat’ and ‘Guth’, especially when he was a bit injured.

“It’s only going to help me leading into this year. But we’ve got some really strong depth in the midfield this year and we’re looking forward to getting stuck into it.”

Bruhn said Conway, fellow Falcons graduate Jhye Clark, 2023 first-round pick Connor O’Sullivan and later choice George Stevens have caught the eye this summer.

Teammate Gryan Miers said on Monday that O’Sullivan is the “almost the kind of guy you’d offer a 10-year contract to straight away” and Bruhn is also bullish on the athletic 198cm utility.

He said that he is unsure whether it will be Conway or Rhys Stanley lining up in round one.

“I mean it’s quite an obvious one, Connor O’Sullivan, he’s been training super well since day one he’s come in. He goes about it the right way Connor and he’s going be massive for us for a long, long time to come,” Bruhn said.

“George Stevens is training really well, he’s been going really well in the midfield and Jhye Clark is going really well as well. He’s obviously back from his injury last year with his foot so he’s progressing well, he’s training really well.”

“I’ve been working with Toby Conway quite a bit, he’s had an amazing pre-season and is ready to go.

“I think both Rhys and Toby complement each other quite well. They’re going to work well together this year and they’re going to need each other throughout the year.

“Obviously hard to give you an answer on who’s going to play and whatnot, but I think they’re going to work very well together.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong young gun Tanner Bruhn says he is forever indebted to Giants and has no regrets about move