AFL 2024: Cameron Mooney and Mick McGuane share their thoughts on Geelong’s finals chances, whether Cats can fill Cameron Guthrie void

Some are writing off Geelong this year, but not Cameron Mooney. He and football analyst Mick McGuane share their thoughts on Geelong’s finals chances and the Cats’ midfield.

Cam Mooney and Mick McGuane weigh in. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Geelong great Cameron Mooney has the Cats in his top-eight, while football analyst Mick McGuane has them sitting just outside.

Mooney is confident Geelong can return to the finals after a one-year hiatus, viewing the health of the list and the extended break as a real positive for the group.

“Premiership is a question mark but I’ve got them in my eight. I think if, injuries aside and that happens to every club, I think they can still their list I still think they will play finals footy. How far they go, who knows. But I’m pretty confident, actually I’m very confident that if they can stay healthy that they can play finals footy again,” Mooney said.

“When you’ve got your nine games down at Greelong you’re looking at, on average eight wins there, you’re halfway to playing finals. And I still believe their list and the experience they’ve still got is better than a lot of teams out there.

“I’m confident that they will play finals, it’s just how far they’ll go – and again that’s depending on injuries and whether their old guys fall off a cliff or not, which does happen. I don’t think they’re there yet.”

“I’ve spoken to a few guys and a lot of them have said it’s the biggest pre-season they have had in a number of years, just in terms of getting the work under their belt. I knew at the end of last year it was going to be a big positive for them… It’s going to be a huge bonus for them and that’s why I’m confident they can make finals this year.”

Cameron Mooney believes the Cats can make the finals. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

The three-time premiership Cat suspects that Geelong put its foot off the accelerator a touch coming off its 2022 flag.

“I don’t think they came back and had a great pre-season, that might be for a number of reasons. That’s just from the outside looking in,” Mooney said.

“It’s amazing what happens when the older guys finally got that premiership, maybe they just took the foot off the pedal five per cent. The younger gives might have put their foot off the pedal five per cent because they got a premiership. Everyone was just probably relieved and happy and it showed starting 0-3.”

McGuane wouldn’t be surprised if the Cats made the finals, but he has some question marks.

“I haven’t got them currently in the eight, I have them just out. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they make a run for it,” McGuane said.

“They won’t be far away, I just think the injection of speed and obviously the emphasis of training of speed I reckon will be fruitful.

“I just think they’ve got the capabilities of being able to get on a run at different stages. I just love teams who are able to score.

“They’ve still got some ageing players, obviously a concern over the body of Guthrie.

“Then you’ve got to say to yourself if Stewart goes down, what sort of hole does that leave? Because he is such an important player to them, provides them with that flexibility to the group.

Cameron Guthrie suffered a long-term injury. Picture: Michael Klein

MIDFIELD QUESTION MARKS

McGuane believes the Cats have the personnel to cover for two-time best and fairest winner Cameron Guthrie, who is set miss most of the first half of the season with a quad injury.

He expects the like of Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Blicavs, Jhye Clark, Max Holmes and Mitch Duncan to be thrown in there.

And he thinks underrated Cat Mark O’Connor can play a key role blanketing opposition stars.

“Sometimes when O’Connor is given a specific role against the right opponent against the right team he can take away the strength of an opposition on the right side. So I wouldn’t underestimate a role for him in that midfield,” McGuane said.

“Dangerfield has got to be around the footy, Blicavs can play a role as a mobile ruckman or a key mobile on-baller. We know he can playa a role to take away Cripps’ influence with his size and shape but can also run with him if needed to.

“I think they’ll inject Holmes in there rather than being outside, get him inside. I know they experimented with Jhye Clark and he is a highly-touted teenager who knows how to win his own footy so he will benefit from another pre-season.

“Mitch Duncan around the ball, to bring that guile and experience and if Holmes goes in for speed and body size, Mitch can go outside for shape and ball use. So I think they’ve got enough to roll in there but that’s the aspect of where their challenge lies.”

Mark O'Connor can be a key cog. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Mooney has his concerns over the midfield and said the improvement of their younger group of midfielders, like 21-year-old Tanner Bruhn, will be critical.

“Guys like Bruhn, can they take the next step? I guess that is going to be the big question. Bowes is probably going to play a bit more midfield time, I think if those guys can step up in the midfield, because there is this question mark over the midfield,” Mooney said.

“You have Tommy Atkins who is a genuine star, Danger who is again one of the greats but he isn’t going to give you the 2016 Danger. The Cats have got other guys in there doing their role so he can pinch hit and not have the weight of the world on his shoulders. So I think that’s going to be a bonus.”

But Mooney is very excited to see a fresh Duncan – a rarity for the 32-year-old over the past four years.

“I think the biggest positive will be Mitch Duncan has done his first pre-season in about four years. You can’t underestimate what an incredible player Mitch is for that footy club,” Mooney said.

“If he’s firing, you lose a good player in Guthrie but for the first time in a long time we’ll get a great player in Mitch at the start of season instead of coming in underdone and trying to make up for a lost pre-season that hasn’t been done.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Cameron Mooney and Mick McGuane share their thoughts on Geelong’s finals chances, whether Cats can fill Cameron Guthrie void