Geelong star Max Holmes says Bailey Smith has had a big impact on his training already

Geelong’s reigning best and fairest winner has opened up on the special, burgeoning relationship with the Cats’ biggest recruit ahead of the 2025 season.

Along with Tom Atkins, Bailey Smith and Patrick Dangerfield, Max Holmes was central to the Cats’ fightback from 30 points down. Picture: Michael Klein

A come-from-behind victory against Adelaide on Thursday night was one of the best of reigning best and fairest winner Max Holmes’ career thus far.

The Cats had been 30 points down against the Crows in the second term, with the home team’s forward line firing in the absence of key defenders Tom Stewart and Jack Henry.

However, Geelong would find another gear or two and kick five unanswered goals either side of the main break to steal the Crows’ momentum and eventually the four points.

On Monday, Holmes, who was drafted in 2020, said it was an “amazing win” after a “couple of iffy games” in previous rounds as the Cats prepare for Hawthorn on Easter Monday.

“It was a really great win, one of my favourite wins I’ve ever had I reckon,” Holmes said, who applied six tackles in Geelong’s forward half.

Playing at the Adelaide Oval appears to pose no major issues for the Cats, winning its past four games by an average of 31 points, including one of its best performances of 2024, an 84-point hammering of Port Adelaide in a qualifying final.

Max Holmes and Bailey Smith after the 19-point defeat of Adelaide. Picture: Michael Klein

“I don’t know what it is, we’ve gone quite well, we’ve had some really enjoyable wins there,” he said.

“I don’t know what it is about the ground but I think we’ll take that in our stride going forward, we go there in not too long again (against the Power in Round 10).”

Holmes said the Cats had watched the Power’s first half performance closely against the Hawks on Sunday night, up by 59 points at half time with captain Connor Rozee excelling off half back and killing the Hawks off turnover.

“(We’ll) try to replicate that,” he said of the Power’s dominant start to the game.

Geelong conceded 21 points from defensive midfield by midway through the second term on Thursday night before addressing that issue.

However, Holmes didn’t expect Hawthorn’s loss would provide any extra motivation against Geelong.

“We always talk about it, if a team that we’re playing this week gets smashed last week and they’re all revved up, good on you but we don’t need to get smashed last week to be ready to go this week, we’re professional athletes,” he said.

“We don’t need that little extra incentive, we’re ready to go every week.”

Meanwhile, Holmes said he and fellow pacy midfielder Bailey Smith had built a strong on and off field partnership – both are former Melbourne private school boys – with the duo excellent on Thursday night, as was Tom Atkins.

The pair shared 67 disposals between them while Holmes applied a game-high seven tackles.

“It’s nice to have some good chemistry on the field, hopefully we can keep it moving forward,” he said.

“I love playing with him, he’s a great mate off the field.

“He’s a training nut, so he’s kind of forced me to train a little bit harder I reckon.”

Originally published as Geelong star Max Holmes says Bailey Smith has had a big impact on his training already