The Geelong Addy mid-season Cats awards
Who has been Geelong’s most improved? Best young player? And best overall? Check out our mid-year awards.
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The mid-season break is already a thing of the past for Geelong’s players, who jumped back into training on Thursday morning.
The Cats will train on over the bye weekend but as the rest of us enjoy a break, it’s time to take stock of the best performers of this season so far.
These are the Geelong Addy mid-season awards.
Best player
This is more difficult than first assumed.
Jeremy Cameron had his hands on the championship belt as the AFL’s best player after the opening rounds of the season but he may have actually been eclipsed in the past month.
Ask Chris Scott and, through clenched teeth, he will tell you that Tom Stewart is his best player.
And Stewart has had the better first half of the year.
Not only is the vice-captain Geelong’ best defensive player, he is also one of its best offensive players.
He ranks elite among defenders for metres gained, rebound-50s and intercept marks, among a bevy of statistical highlights.
He is a major part of the engine that makes Geelong go.
Winner: Tom Stewart
Runner-up: Jeremy Cameron
Most improved
An interesting question is looming for Geelong and Esava Ratugolea.
Sent to defence, the big man was excellent in the first two months of the season before being struck down with a hamstring and his output has improved out of sight.
But as Geelong shut the Western Bulldogs down last weekend while Ratugolea watched from the sidelines, the question will be asked by Geelong coaches: even if Ratugolea has been in great form, are we better off without him?
Out-of-contract at the end of the year, suitors will be lining up for Ratugolea.
The Cats will give it a chance to see how it works with him in the team alongside 2022’s premiership backline and his intercept marking and closing speed have made him a winning defender.
Winner: Esava Ratugolea
Runner up: Gryan Miers
Best young player (22 or younger at the start of the season)
The talk heading into the season was unfair around Max Holmes, with Patrick Dangerfield likening the speedster to Chris Judd.
In the third year of his career, Judd won a Brownlow Medal.
Holmes is nowhere near that but you can lock him in to being a 200-game important midfielder for Geelong and he will only get better from here.
His pace is an essential asset to the Cats.
Other youngsters to play well this year include Tanner Bruhn and Ollie Henry, while Sam De Koning has been his usual solid self around injuries.
Winner: Max Holmes
Runner-up: Tanner Bruhn
Best veteran (32 or older at the start of the season)
Patrick Dangerfield looked to have this award sewn up when he dominated for a month before his latest hamstring.
Tom Hawkins also brushed off a slow start to ramp up into strong form.
But perhaps the most consistent player of any age for Geelong this year has been the hard-runner Isaac Smith.
After winning the Norm Smith Medal last year, Smith stood tall in the opening rounds this year as the Cats struggled and ha just carried on being his usual self, gathering about 22 disposals and 500 metres gained week after week and he has actually performed better in most statistical categories in losses this year.
He could play until he is 40.
Winner: Isaac Smith
Runner-up: Tom Hawkins
Best role player
This one goes out to the players who never get the credit.
From Zach Guthrie to Tom Atkins, Brad Close to Mark O’Connor, Geelong is flush with players who go out to do their job week in and week out.
One player who never gets his dues but has quietly put together a solid season in his role, Jake Kolodjashnij is happy to stay out of the spotlight.
“I sort of like slipping under the radar, we have some superstars in the team so I am happy doing my role,” he said after last weekend’s win over the Western Bulldogs.
Kolodjashnij is one of the first picked each week and has rarely been beaten in any contests all year as he just does his thing in the backline.
Winner: Jake Kolodjashnij
Runner-up: Zach Guthrie
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