Geelong Cats: Five current players set to earn Hall of Fame status
After Jimmy Bartel and Corey Enright were inducted last week, we look at the currently-listed Cats players to see who could join the AFL Hall of Fame at the end of their careers.
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Former Geelong premiership greats Jimmy Bartel and Corey Enright were recently inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame, sparking conversations about who would be next in line to receive the honour.
Cats reporter Matthew Forrest has broken down the current Geelong playing list and revealed his top five picks for players to be inducted once their careers are over.
Jeremy Cameron
Games: 222
Goals: 570
Brownlow Votes: 74
Honours: Premiership (2022), All Australian (2013, 2019, 2022), Coleman Medal (2019), Kevin Sheedy Medal (2013), Carji Greeves Medal (2022), 9x GWS leading goal scorer (2012-2020), AFLPA best first-year player (2012), AFLCA best young player of the year (2013)
At 30 years old, Cameron is one of the best players currently in the game and is arguably the best key forward in the competition at the moment. He is still in the running to win his second Coleman Medal, currently seven goals behind the leader with eight rounds to play. He booted 62 goals in just his second season in the AFL, enough for a third-placed finish in the Coleman Medal race, and is Greater Western Sydney’s greatest ever goal scorer. He is currently 56th all time for Geelong goals, despite only playing 53 games in the hoops. He is ranked 46th all time for goals kicked in VFL/AFL history, with a career total of at least 700 majors expected if he continues to play at a relatively high level for another three seasons.
Isaac Smith
Games: 273
Goals: 202
Brownlow Votes: 34
Honours: Premierships (2013-2015, 2022), Norm Smith Medal (2022), Hawthorn Life Member
A Hawthorn legend, Smith has won the love of all Geelong supporters with his efforts in the 2022 grand final. Racking up 32 disposals, 12 marks and three goals against Sydney, the winger became the oldest player to ever win a Norm Smith Medal. Smith’s Hall of Fame status was earned with his time as a member of arguably the greatest team of the modern era. Smith was a constant in Hawthorn’s premiership run from 2013 to 2015, winning three flags and averaging more than 22 disposals and almost a goal per game during the three-year stretch.
Tom Hawkins
Games: 342
Goals: 769
Brownlow Votes: 66
Honours: Premierships (2009, 2011, 2022), Coleman Medal (2020), Carji Greeves Medal (2012), All Australian (2012, 2019-2022), All Australian Captain (2022), VFL Premiership (2007), Geelong’s all-time #2 most games played, Geelong’s all-time #3 most goals kicked
The last-remaining Cats player from the golden era from 2007-2011, Hawkins is one of Geelong’s greatest ever players. Only his best mate, Joel Selwood (355), has played more games in the hoops than Hawkins, and only Gary Ablett senior (1021) and Doug Wade (834) have kicked more goals than him. Hawkins has regularly said he is eager to play on in 2024, and at times has looked more than capable of playing another season and potentially becoming Geelong’s all-time games record holder, but he will need to play next season to break Selwood’s record. He is also Geelong’s 10th oldest player ever.
Patrick Dangerfield
Games: 313
Goals: 321
Brownlow Votes: 236
Honours: Premiership (2022), Brownlow Medal (2016), All Australian (2012, 2013, 2015-2020), All Australian captain (2020), Carji Greeves Medal (2016, 2017, 2019), Malcolm Blight Medal (2015), Geelong captain (2023-), Showdown Medal (2012), AFLCA champion player of the year (2016), Leigh Matthews Trophy (2016), Gary Ayres Award (2022)
The Cats skipper has enjoyed a glittered individual career, with his stunning accomplishments topped off with a premiership in 2022. His game on grand final day against Sydney was arguably good enough for a Norm Smith Medal, but he finished second in the voting behind Isaac Smith. He was named the best player of the finals campaign however, taking home the Gary Ayres Award. He won the Brownlow Medal in his first season at Geelong, is one of eight players to have won three Carji Greeves Medals, and is one of the most-capped All Australians of all time, equal with Gary Ablett junior, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto.
Tom Stewart
Games: 140
Brownlow Votes: 25
Honours: Premiership (2022), All Australian (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), Carji Greeves Medal (2021), AFLCA’s young player of the year (2018)
Stewart will likely be in the conversation for the greatest-ever mature age recruit when his career is over, after earning selection at 22 years old. The medium-sized defender dominated at the local level, winning two GFL premierships with South Barwon before he was picked up by Geelong in the 2016 national draft. Since then, Stewart has earned four All Australian jackets, including one in his second year, and is currently the vice captain of Geelong. He is arguably the competition’s best defender in the past three seasons, and will likely notch up more accolades before his playing career is done.
Originally published as Geelong Cats: Five current players set to earn Hall of Fame status
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