Geelong’s Zach Guthrie striving for individual and team improvement in 2024

Geelong’s Zach Guthrie enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023. The defender opens up on the disappointment of missing finals, his brother’s injury and the drive to push back up the ladder.

Zach Guthrie hits the training track for Geelong on Wednesday. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Geelong’s Zach Guthrie hopes to extend his consistent run of form into another season but is saddened not to have his brother run out with him come round one.

The defender expressed disappointment around older brother Cam’s injury setback, as well as Geelong’s missed finals opportunity last year, but is resolute in his focus of starting the 2024 season as strongly as possible when the Cats host St Kilda on March 16.

The younger Guthrie believes his brother will “no doubt” put himself in the best position to play an important role when he returns from an expected eight-to-10 injury lay-off.

The quad injury occurred in the opening minute of the Cats’ practice match against Carlton on February 22.

“I was really disappointed for him, he had a good prep to get over his toe injury and his body was feeling really good,” Guthrie said.

“He seems to be going about his rehab really well already and he’s certainly someone who gets his work done in the background, ticks it all off really well, really professionally.”

For the 25-year-old, it’s all about implementing new things into his game in 2024.

Coming into his eighth season as a Cat, Guthrie is out of contract at the end of the season.

He said he wasn’t thinking too much into those negotiations, instead allowing them to “tick along” in the background between club and management.

“I love my time here to be honest… going into my eighth season now, it goes really quickly,” he said.

“This time of year is that really exciting time of year, where everyone is focused on starting the season well.

“I think that’s where everyone’s focus is.”

Geelong’s Zach Guthrie, in action in a pre-season match, says he feels well-prepared to attack the 2024 season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

The deployment of Max Holmes off halfback as a well as a fully-fit Jack Henry as a key defender excites Guthrie most about the Cats’ defensive prospects this year.

Guthrie, who spent part of the off-season in Europe before banking a block strength and conditioning training in Melbourne and Geelong, believes his body is in the right place to attack the season ahead.

“My body’s been able to hold up to pre-season really well, I think because I had prepared myself well,” he said.

The premiership Cat’s consistency has been his strength in recent seasons, with 21 games in 2022 while the defender was just one of three to play all 23 matches in 2023 to finish fourth in the Carji Greeves medal count.

It’s an area of his game his hopes to maintain in 2024.

“Hopefully I can just keep trying to improve my game,” he said.

“It’s been good to play some consistent footy.

“Because of a few injuries, there were only a few of us able to play every game last year.”

With excitement building ahead of round one at GMHBA Stadium, Guthrie said he and his teammates were intent on starting the season strongly, with last year’s finals omission undoubtedly leaving a nasty taste in the mouth.

“Coming off the year we had before that, to be able to go all the way and then to miss finals was disappointing,” Guthrie said.

“But it did give us a little bit of extra time and we feel really well prepared to start the year well but now that games are starting to come around it’s really important that we make the games count.

“Everyone starts at 0-0 so we’re just really focused on getting some wins on the board.”

Originally published as Geelong’s Zach Guthrie striving for individual and team improvement in 2024