AFL 2024: Geelong young gun Max Holmes on his new deal as Patrick Dangerfield doubles down on Chris Judd comparison
Patrick Dangerfield once said Max Holmes had ‘Judd-like’ traits — and he hasn’t changed his view. Holmes sheds light on those comparisons and how his new deal played out.
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Newly signed Geelong speedster Max Holmes said he has known since the start of the year that he wanted to remain at the Cats as his skipper Patrick Dangerfield doubled down on likening Homes’ traits to Chris Judd.
Holmes had been tracked by eager rivals but the 21-year-old turned his back on offers by inking a four-year extension with Geelong until the end of 2028.
The midfielder turned defender said that the process happened quicker than he expected despite coming to the conclusions with his manager, Tom Seccull from Hemisphere Management, that he was keen to stay at Kardinia Park.
He said he largely stayed out of the process and let Seccull do the work with Geelong football manager Andrew Mackie.
“Me and Tom we spoke like probably at the start of pre-season this year. I wasn’t thinking about leaving but it was probably back then that we decided, ‘yeah, we’ll stay for sure’,” Holmes said.
“We’re pretty happy just to try and get it done. I guess these things take a bit of time, so that’s probably why it’s taken this long.
“I don’t really know the ins and outs but as I said a few months ago, as long as ‘Mack’ and my manager are happy, then I’m happy and they came to the decision pretty quickly and so I was happy to sign after that.
“I guess there’s always going to be talk considering I come from Melbourne and all that, family’s in Melbourne. But yeah, there wasn’t too much consideration to that.”
Holmes wasn’t too phased by being in the headlines and his on-field form showed that, generating the third-most metres gained of any player in the competition.
While he also didn’t pay much attention to rival offers, he viewed the attention as a compliment which helped fuel his hot start to 2024.
But he hopes that continues despite signing on the dotted line.
“I’ve got been saying today I hope that I don’t start playing badly, that wouldn’t be a great,” Holmes said with a laugh.
“Hopefully we see this week but hopefully would have played the same regardless of whether I was already signed or not.
“Not that it’s a good thing, but I guess you see it as a positive that people want you and that kind of gave me a bit of confidence to play as well as I can.”
Holmes said that prodigal West Coast draftee Harley Reid was a much more fitting comparison to Chris Judd, who he was compared to by Dangerfield in 2022.
He joked that it was Dangerfield winding him up and that he, “says a lot of rubbish”.
Asked if that comparison has given Holmes unwanted attention, Dangerfield reiterated that same praise.
“That’s probably on me, isn’t it,” Dangerfield chuckled.
“But he does to be frank. He has speed — he was running away from some very fast players last week in the wet and nailing kicks from 50 metres away. We’re only scratching the surface with what I think he can bring and we’re excited it’s going to be in the hoops.”
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Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong young gun Max Holmes on his new deal as Patrick Dangerfield doubles down on Chris Judd comparison
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