All the Geelong Cats news ahead of trip to face West Coast
Most thought West Coast would vault into premiership contention when it traded for Tim Kelly. But it has actually been the Cats who opened up their flag window by netting a superstar. Here’s how.
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The biggest coup of the Tim Kelly didn’t surface until 12 months after the dazzling midfielder departed Geelong.
After the majestic Kelly ended his outstanding two-season star turn as a Cat, one year later Jeremy Cameron declared he wanted to join Geelong.
It was the leftover pieces the Cats gained from Kelly joining West Coast that settled a deal to net Cameron, and potentially wrench Geelong’s premiership window open for some time.
As Kelly prepares to face his old side on Saturday, with his form sputtering as the Eagles put together what appears to be their worst season in club history, his old teammates are again looking at a deep September run.
While many touted that West Coat landing Kelly – who had just polled 25 votes in the Brownlow Medal and been named an All-Australian – just over 12 months after winning the 2018 premiership would keep them in the flag hunt for years to come, the deal actually boosted Geelong’s long-term premiership hopes.
While Chris Scott said he held Kelly in “the highest regard” and he had been impressed with his form for the Eagles, he recognised the game-changing move that getting Cameron is for the Cats.
“I don’t want anything I say about Jeremy and where we are not to reflect poorly on Tim but I think our list management team has done a great job of bringing in a player and helping us as a team,” Scott said.
“If you look historically, especially over the last 10 years, it has been incredibly difficult if you finish in the top-eight most years to bring in a player of Jeremy Cameron’s calibre.”
Cameron’s arrival would have been smoother at the Cats if GWS didn’t match the free agent offer and he was allowed to walk for nothing but the Cats had a war chest to talk trades with the Giants because they secured picks 14, 24, 37 and a future first from West Coast.
The future West Coast pick and the 24th choice – flipped to Gold Coast for a future Suns first – became key factors in the eventual deal that landed Cameron.
The goalkicking machine is on the way to a career year and could shape the 2022 finals series.
The 37th pick was used by Geelong in a deal with Adelaide to secure Josh Jenkins, a move that didn’t pay off on-field but Jenkins has slotted in as a respected part-time coach this year at the Cats.
And the 14th pick, which eventually became No.16 on draft night, was used to draft Cooper Stephens, who is beginning to show signs of becoming a long-term midfield regular.
Meanwhile, West Coast also got pick 57 back from Geelong, and didn’t use it.
A third-round future selection also came across in Kelly's luggage and it was part of a complex trade involving Tom Hickey that netted a series of draft picks from Sydney, none of which have hit just yet for the Eagles.
Even West Coast figures would reluctantly acknowledge that gaining the better part of a deal to secure Cameron – plus Stephens – makes Geelong the winners of the Kelly trade.
The question that will stay in the back of the mind for Geelong figures is: what could the club have done with all the spoils of the famous deal if GWS had not matched the free agency offer and Cameron had walked south to Kardinia Park for nothing?
CATS POISED TO ASK FOR BACK-ENDED 2023 FIXTURE
Geelong is poised to request a smooth run home towards the 2023 finals by backending its home games to the second half of the season to make the most of GMHBA Stadium’s redevelopment.
The new stand at the northern end of Geelong’s home ground remains on track to open on May 1 next year and it will boost he capacity at the ground to 40,000.
To reap full rewards of the completed stage 5 redevelopment, Geelong could ask for its GMHBA Stadium home games to be played after the stand opens, which would have equated to round 8 in 2022.
Cats chief executive Steve Hocking confirmed the backending idea was “definitely” part of the club’s planning for next year.
Clubs put in fixture requests to the AFL once the season winds up, in October and November.
Kardinia Park Stadium Trust boss Gerard Griffin said pushing back home games would be a real option for the Cats and he would leave that call in the club’s hands.
“They might want to hold off and get all nine games at the complete stadium,” he said.
Geelong generally plays nine games at GMHBA Stadium and two at the MCG each season.
Given Hawthorn hosted the annual Easter Monday clash this year, that is likely to flip to a Cats home game at the MCG in 2023.
The Cats last played a heavily backended schedule in 2017 when the western side’s Brownlow Stand was finished.
That year, Geelong hosted its first game at home in round 9 and played seven games at the venue, including three of the last four matches heading into finals.
Similarly, the Hickey Stand on the eastern side opened in May 2005 and in that year the Cats played the final three games of the home-and-away season at Kardinia Park.
Griffin confirmed the northern end was tracking well and despite a recent cold snap, weather hadn’t slowed down progress.
“It’s progressing well, pretty much on program and all things are on target for a 1st of May finish next year,” he said.
Construction equipment was parked on the playing surface this week as lights within the ground’s stands were switched to LED lighting, after all globes in the light towers had successfully been swapped over recently.
MENEGOLA RETURNS AS CATS EASE BACK TRIO
Geelong midfielder Sam Menegola is set to play his first AFL game of the season against West Coast on Saturday as a trio of returning Cats make their way back through the VFL.
Speedy midfielder Max Holmes and springy tall Esava Ratugolea will spend this weekend in the VFL in their return from respective ankle surgeries, while defender Jack Henry is also likely to play VFL minutes this weekend.
Cats coach Chris Scott said all three had been putting miles into their legs in recent weeks and should return to the field fresh.
“Max and Esava Ratugolea … were probably available to play last week when we had the bye to that’s meant an extra week of training for them and they have done a fair bit of running so it’s reasonable to say they will both play a VFL game and we will assess from there,” Scott said.
“Jack Henry has a foot issue but he has been running on that for a period of time.”
After pre-season knee surgery, Menegola played one VFL match on April 2 and was concussed.
A setback on his knee meant he didn’t play again for two months, before playing again in the reserves two weeks ago but Scott declared Menegola was ready for the trip to Perth to face the Eagles.
The hard-runner started in his customary wing position during some match simulation at Geelong training on Thursday, while utility Mark O’Connor appeared to be playing a tagging role.
Jonathon Ceglar (foot) was training with the group, as was Patrick Dangerfield (calf) as they ease their way back towards fitness.
Fresh from successful surgery on his broken right hand, Brandan Parfitt was on the track doing a running program.
Scott said the Cats had been happy to stay patient with Menegola’s recovery to make sure he is in full fitness for the back half of the season.
“It’s been hard for him but he is one of those players who is in the category of virtually putting back-to-back pre-seasons together, he has done that much running,” Scott said.
“Our medical staff were really firm on waiting until he did get to that 100 per cent stage where he can plan.
“I think the cautiousness we have shown with his preparation from the surgery in November speaks to the fact we are bringing him in now fully prepared.”
BLICAVS AND GUTHRIE BOND REMAINS STRONG AHEAD OF HONOUR
A top-of-the-line new golf club might be in order as Mark Blicavs ponders how to thank Andrew Guthrie for the role he played in helping the Geelong utility forge a remarkable AFL career.
Blicavs has been entwined with the Guthrie family since his first days playing sport in Sunbury and has played alongside Cam and Zach in the hoops for years.
The tale continues next month when Blicavs and Cam Guthrie will be named life members of the Geelong Football Club, having put together a distinguished career of 216 and 217 respective games so far.
But it was their father Andrew who had the biggest influence on Blicavs’ career, when he defied the Olympic hopeful’s first instinct and urged Cats recruiting doyen Stephen Wells to take a look at the gangly steeplechaser who played alongside Cam in junior football.
Blicavs initially resisted the idea of playing footy but Andrew knew the talented runner could be something special and kicked off a career that has included two Carji Greeves medals.
“That is probably something I have thought about over the last couple of days,” Blicavs said.
“Andrew was persisting and pushing and when he mentioned early days he was going to talk to Wellsy, I said ‘no thanks’ and he continued to persist and I am so thankful he did because it worked out pretty well.
“For Andrew to do what he did got me this opportunity so I can’t thank him enough.”
The Guthrie patriarch isn’t much of a drinker, so there won’t be a nice bottle of wine coming his way from Bilcavs as thanks once his career wraps up.
“He is a bit of a golfer, bit of a cyclist, so I might have to get him a new (golf) driver,” Blicavs said.
Blicavs and Cam Guthrie were normal county kids growing up, playing basketball, football and indoor cricket – and Blicavs reckons he has his mate covered on all sports except golf.
Guthrie played his first AFL games in 2011 but was out of the Geelong side when it won its last premiership and Blicavs was drafted later that year.
The pair have been close to premiership success over and over in the years that followed and the elusive flag still drives Guthrie.
“Our careers have followed similar trajectories, we have had a lot of disappointments and triumphs over the years together,” he said.
“It’s the main driving factor, it’s why I still put so much effort into my career, to be able to lift that premiership cup and share it with my teammates and my brother new. I am super motivated to attack this year and give it our best shot.”
Great mates from the start, both Blicavs and Guthrie said they were “really proud” to share their life membership induction with each other.
CATS RULE OUT DANGER AS EAGLES STARS EYE COMEBACK
Geelong will travel to Perth without superstar Patrick Dangerfield as West Coast eyes off bringing back five premiership heroes for Saturday’s clash.
Dangerfield has been working through an intense fitness program after battling calf issues during the first-half of the season that culminated in being subbed out of round 10’s win over Port Adelaide.
Despite not playing since that Power clash, Geelong medical boss Harry Taylor said the Brownlow medallist would spent at least another weekend on the track.
“(Dangerfield) will continue to complete high intensity sessions during the remainder of the week and over the weekend with further decisions regarding his availability to be made next week,” Taylor said.
The Cats will put Max Holmes and Esava Ratugolea through fitness tests as they make their way back from ankle surgeries, while Jack Henry (foot) will also be tested.
Taylor said Jake Kolodjashnij (Covid protocols), Tom Stewart (concussion), Shaun Higgins (soreness) and youngster Nick Stevens (foot) should all be available to play this weekend.
West Coast will have the chance to call on stars of their own as 2018 flag winners Jeremy McGovern, Liam Ryan, Willie Rioli, Dom Sheed and Elliot Yeo all put their hands up to face the Cats.
Speedsters Jack Petrucelle and ex-Cat Jamaine Jones are also set to be available as the last-placed Eagles aim to wake from their season-long slumber.
Yeo has played two games at WAFL level – before picking up a league suspension – and Sheed two and Eagles coach Simpson said they were ready to go.
“ (Yeo) played two WAFL games and it would have been great to get another one in and that was disappointing but he is ready to go,” Simpson said.
“It gets to a point where you have to get them in.
“Ryan, Rioli, Sheed, McGovern, Petrucelle, Jones, there is a few there that spring to mind (that will be available). I haven’t gone through everyone.
“There hasn’t been much pressure at match committee.
“We haven’t had the luxury of having guys playing at WAFL level and the pressure that brings.”
Simpson said his selection panel would weigh up whether to bring back all of the first-choice cohort or ease them in over coming weeks.
Despite the potential additions to West Coast’s side, Geelong will still travel to Perth as heavy favourites and Simpson said the Cats were an “exceptional” side.
“They are reasonably healthy, they are in good form so that is going to be a real challenge,” he said.
West Coast will have a chance to rub Geelong’s nose in past horrors on Saturday, when they wear a replica jumper of their 1992 season, which ended with a come-from-behind grand final win over the Cats.
GUTHRIE KEEPS EYE ON DEES AS FAVOURITES TUMBLE
Geelong midfielder Cam Guthrie has taken notice of Melbourne three-game slide but says the premiership favourite’s sudden tumble doesn’t dramatically alter the flag race.
Previously unbackable for the flag, Melbourne’s loss to Collingwood on Monday was its third on the trot.
The Demons have now given up top spot on the ladder and the heat has been just as strong off the field as defender Steven May serves a club-imposed ban for a drunken altercation with teammate Jake Melksham.
While Melbourne’s stocks have begun to fall, Geelong’s have risen as the Cats won three in a row before their mid-season bye and began to show the football that could challenge the best come September.
Guthrie said he expected the Demons to bounce back and he always believed the Cats could more than match it with the reigning premier.
“I think as a team you are definitely always taking notice of the results around you but even before the last four weeks, I thought Geelong football is good enough to take it up to any opposition,” he said.
“I think it was (Melbourne coach) Simon Goodwin in his press conference (on Monday) saying that there are ebbs and flows in any competition and I think they are just going through that at the moment and they will be firing later in the season as we expect them to be.”
Geelong will return from it’s mid-year break on Saturday against lowly West Coast but utility Mark Blicavs squashed any thoughts his team would take the bottom-placed Eagles lightly.
The Cats have battled in recent years after a bye and Blicavs said he was keen to keep the form rolling from before the break.
“Any team can beat anyone, that is probably more true this year than ever,” he said.
“We certainly won’t be taking this game lightly. We had some momentum we were able to build before the bye and the challenge is to switch back on as quick as we can.”
The Cats could make a host of changes to the midfield as Patrick Dangerfield (calf), Max Holmes (ankle) and Sam Menegola (knee) lead a group of players staking a claim to return from injury in the next fortnight.
A stalwart of the Geelong midfield through an interrupted first half of the year, Guthrie expected the personnel changes to the onball division to be gradual.
“We have a good mix in there at the moment,” he said.
CATS YOUNGSTER SIMPSON HAS ‘TURNED A CORNER’
Geelong midfielder Sam Simpson has “turned a corner” and is closer to a return to the field as the Cats weigh up how many changes is too many before meeting West Coast on Saturday.
Having not played at any level this season after picking up a head knock late in the pre-season, Simpson has steadily built up involvement in training and has joined in full sessions in recent weeks.
The classy midfielder will be pushed through contact drills in coming weeks and is still multiple weeks from playing but Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd said the Cats were pleased with his progress.
It is a step forward for Simpson after Cats coach Chris Scott was asked last month if he would play at all this year and replied: “I can’t answer that”.
Simpson played an important role in Geelong’s run to the finals in 2020 but only managed four games last season in another injury-riddled year.
“He has had a big block of training and has really turned the corner,” Lloyd said.
“We all saw through his impact on the team through season 2020 that he is a high-end talent, he can play half-forward or on a wing, or as an inside mid. He has really fast feet and is a good decision maker so he is highly valued within the club.”
Geelong is set to get back Jake Kolodjashnij (Covid protocols) for the trip to Perth, while star defender Tom Stewart trained on Monday has so far ticked the boxes to play after being concussed against the Western Bulldogs.
Sam Menegola (knee) played full minutes in the VFL two weeks ago, Patrick Dangerfield (calf) continues to burn through his mid-year fitness regime, while Max Holmes and Esava Ratugolea (both ankle) have been upping their running.
The Cats will lose Brandan Parfitt (broken hand) for the next month but will have plenty of returning players in coming weeks, as Jonathon Ceglar and Jack Henry (both foot) also aim to get back on the park fitness.
Lloyd said the Cats would “get a number of those players back this week but even more the following week”.
“Sometimes there can be a tipping point if you introduce too many too soon so that is something the coaches will work on at match committee,” Lloyd said.
“There will be an introduction of players over a number of weeks no doubt but we won’t be introducing players who aren’t ready to play.”
More Coverage
Originally published as All the Geelong Cats news ahead of trip to face West Coast
‘I’m free’: Ex-Don reveals relief over call that ended his career
Stewart Crameri snuck through to the 100-game mark at his third AFL club. Then it was all over in a flash and the former Bomber, Bulldog and Cat could not have been more relieved.
The 55-second ‘f**k it’ plan now etched in footy folklore
They had 55 seconds to come up with a plan when Melbourne’s 6-6-6 infringement gifted them the ball. Three Saints made a call, the Demons were nowhere and the rest is history. Watch how it all unfolded.