Track watch: Geelong academy duo Ben Rongdit and Jesse Mellor train with the Cats, Jhye Clark’s position move

Two Geelong academy prospects went toe-to-toe with Cats players at training. Plus, the Cats are continuing to persist with a position switch for on of their most highly touted talents.

Ben Rongdit training with the Cats. Picture: Alison Wynd

Geelong has only drafted one player from its Next Generation Academy, but next year two are in the mix to join the club.

Geelong NGA duo Ben Rongdit – who is of Sudanese descent – and Jesse Mellor (born in Thailand) were put through their paces with the Cats’ new draftees at training on Monday.

Their Geelong Falcons teammate Josh Lindsay, who was awarded a medal on grand final day as Team Heppell’s best player in the under-17 futures match, also took part in the session.

Rongdit and Lindsay are both training with the club as members of the 28-player AFL Academy, a sign they are among the top prospects ahead of their draft year in 2025.

An athletic defender with a monster leap, Rongdit plucked a one-handed grab in one drill like he was shelling peas.

The Colac talent’s junior years have been filled with eye-catching moments like this.

A nice one-handed pluck from Geelong NGA prospect Ben Rongdit. The athletic defender and Geelong Falcons playmaker Josh Lindsay are training with Geelong as part of the AFL Academy. Fellow Cats NGA product Jesse Mellor also training. @[e-mail]/aRJxA4dNoV

— Dan Batten (@danbatten_) December 9, 2024

“He trained with our V-Line Cup group and even in that you saw him jumping up for the footy with one hand and doing things you just don’t quite see,” Geelong Falcons talent lead Jesse Drever said last month.

“Once he can show that consistency in his footy, the sky is the limit.”

Mellor is the son of former West Adelaide star and ex-Richmond assistant coach Greg and had some encouraging signs of development at the Falcons last season, including a four goal haul against the GWV Rebels.

The Cats will be watching Rongdit and Mellor’s progress in 2025 with interest, hoping they can join Next Generation Academy graduate Ted Clohesy at the club.

Clubs are now able to match a bid for an NGA player at any stage of the draft after rules were altered this year — allowing Essendon to take excitement machine Isaac Kako at pick 13.

Geelong draftee Keighton Matofai-Forbes showed his power evading Rongdit in one contested drill as running machine rookie Patrick Retschko covered plenty of ground.

Highly-touted youngster Jhye Clark continues to be used off halfback in match simulation as a midfield squeeze looms next season after the addition of Bailey Smith.

Clark’s lateral movement has caught the eye in the role but he shanked two kicks coming out of defence, an area he will need to tidy up if the Cats persist with the switch.

Ben Rongdit puts the pressure on. Picture: Alison Wynd

Josh Lindsay. Picture: Alison Wynd

It was a different story for Lawson Humphries, whose sizzling ball-use was on display – as it has been all pre-season.

Cats players were made to work with lots of running out at Deakin University Waurn Ponds.

Tall defender Connor O’Sullivan left his teammates in his wake as they completed an end-to-end sprint drill, leading one player to yell, “F--- you Sully!”

The 19-year-old played one game in his first season and has noted running power, blitzing the 2km time trial at the 2023 national combine with a time of six minutes and 11 seconds.

Smith and key defender Sam De Koning left the track early, but have trained behind closed doors at times at GMHBA Stadium this pre-season.

Geelong recruit Jack Martin said Smith and Max Holmes have impressed him in his short time at the club.

“Bailey Smith has looked really fit at the moment, Max Holmes is bloody lightning quick,” Martin said.

Originally published as Track watch: Geelong academy duo Ben Rongdit and Jesse Mellor train with the Cats, Jhye Clark’s position move