Cam Mooney: Why Geelong can kick start their season

Geelong’s upcoming run of games is set to define the Cats premiership defence, but even with depth being severely tested, there’s reason to be confident writes Cam Mooney.

Geelong is facing a season-defining five round period, with three games against top six sides and as it currently stands, a lengthy injury list.

The seventh-placed Cats venture to Perth this Saturday to take on a resurgent Fremantle who beat Sydney at home.

Then, after a home fixture against GWS, a match you’d expect Geelong to win, the Cats then face genuine contenders in the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide and Melbourne.

The Dogs, Power and the Dees are all on lengthy winning runs and will create plenty of headaches if the Cats can’t get some of their stars back on the field.

It’s a really tough run of games and if you don’t bank enough wins over that period, it makes your run home to finals a hell of a lot tougher.

And if the Cats’ injury list remains long, it will put the club’s depth to the ultimate test.

Tanner Bruhn of the Cats . Pic: Michael Klein

Geelong will want to time their run like they did so beautifully last year in 2022, but I can’t see them doing much damage if they trip over the line into September and front up for an away elimination final.

With the competition pretty even this year, I firmly believe teams are going to struggle without their best teams on the park, which was proven last Friday night against the 13th placed Tigers.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick’s men clearly came to play with some of their veterans in Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin turning back the clock with nine goals between them.

Richmond appeared to recapture some of their game style and confidence of their golden years which delivered three premiership in four years.

However, there is no doubt Geelong were severely depleted on Friday night.

We were without premiership players Patrick Dangerfield, Brad Close, Cam Guthrie, Rhys Stanley, Tyson Stengle, Gary Rohan, Jack Henry and Sam De Koning.

MELBOURNE. 12/05/2023. AFL. Richmond vs Geelong at the MCG. Richmonds Rhyan Mansell tries to mark over Zach Tuohy of the Cats . Pic: Michael Klein

Any club in the competition would struggle to compete with that level of talent on the sidelines.

And the challenges keep coming with Chris Scott’s men facing Fremantle this weekend.

It’s a really important game for the Cats.

I previously said Fremantle were out of finals contention but a strong win last round revealed they might have some fight left in them.

The Dockers produced their best game in a long time against the Swans, winning by 17 points, and are starting to bang on the door of the top eight.

Although Sydney, like Geelong, were without some of their best players, it’s never an easy proposition to beat the Swans on their home deck.

And I was expecting a big response from the Swans too, after their Round 8 match against Collingwood which was marred by the booing of Buddy Franklin.

Jake Kolodjashnij of the Cats . Pic: Michael Klein

I’m also a fan of their emerging forward line with Luke Jackson finding form, who was complemented by the likes of Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss, producing seven goals and 18 marks in total.

And with Stanley’s eye socket listed as a short term injury, it could potentially leave Geelong exposed in the big man department with Freo’s Sean Darcy one of the in-form rucks of the comp.

That all being said, I’m not overly concerned at this point.

I have faith the Cats will get their best squad together and time their run at the right time of the season, just like they did last season.

But that’s why this weekend’s match against Fremantle is perhaps its most important so far of the 2023 campaign.

It could be a launching pad for the Cats’ premiership defence.

Originally published as Cam Mooney: Why Geelong can kick start their season