So, you've survived the off-season. The Christmas pudding is a distant memory, the New Year's resolutions are already gathering dust, and you're staring down the barrel of another AFL season. But before we get to the real stuff—the home-and-away battles, the heart-stopping finals, the potential for another flag—there's that annual rite of passage: the pre-season challenge.
For Geelong fans, these practice matches are more than just a warm-up. They're a glimpse into the future. They're where you spot the draftee who's going to be a star, where you see if the new game plan actually works, and where you start to believe (or panic) about what the 2025 AFL season might hold.
But here's the thing: watching a pre-season game without a plan is like walking into the Cattery blindfolded. You'll miss the subtle signs, the positional changes, the little tweaks that tell you everything about what Coach Scott is cooking up.
This guide is your practical checklist for extracting maximum value from the Geelong Cats pre-season challenge. By the end, you'll know exactly what to look for, how to interpret what you see, and—most importantly—how to manage your expectations before Round 1.
What You'll Need Before You Start
Before we dive into the step-by-step process, let's make sure you're properly equipped. You wouldn't turn up to Kardinia Park without your scarf and beanie, right? Same principle applies here.
Essential gear:
- Access to the match (live at GMHBA Stadium, on TV, or via streaming)
- A notepad or notes app on your phone (trust me, you'll forget the details)
- The Cats' official team sheet for the match
- Basic knowledge of the 2024 season finish and off-season changes
- A healthy dose of perspective (this is crucial—more on that later)
- The VFL team list (to spot who's pushing for senior selection)
- Previous season stats for key players like Dangerfield, Hawkins, and Selwood (yes, even though Selwood's retired, his absence changes things)
- A friend who's equally obsessed (for sanity checks)
Step 1: Set Your Expectations Realistically
This is the most important step, and it's the one most fans get wrong. The pre-season challenge is not the AFL Grand Final. It's not even a regular-season game. It's a glorified training session with umpires and a scoreboard.
What to expect:
- Players will be on managed minutes. Don't expect Dangerfield to play four quarters.
- The game plan will be simplified. Coach Scott isn't showing his hand to opposition coaches in February.
- The result doesn't matter. Zero. Zip. Nada. The Cats could lose by 100 points and still win the premiership in September.
- Don't panic if a young player has a quiet game. Development isn't linear.
- Don't get too excited about a dominant performance. Plenty of players have torn up pre-season and gone missing when the real stuff starts.
- Don't compare scores or margins to the previous season. Conditions, opposition, and intent are all different.
Step 2: Focus on the New Faces
The AFL Draft is where the future of the club lives. Pre-season is your first real chance to see how the new recruits look against AFL-level opposition.
What to watch for:
- How do the draftees handle the pace? The jump from under-18s or state league footy is enormous. Are they getting to contests? Are they being caught with the ball?
- Do they look comfortable in their position? A midfielder drafted as an inside bull might be trialed on a wing.
- How's their decision-making under pressure? This is the biggest indicator of future success.
- The Cats have a history of developing players slowly. Don't expect a draftee to be a Round 1 starter unless they're genuinely exceptional.
- Watch how the new players interact with the senior guys like Dangerfield and Hawkins. Are they getting direction? Are they being included in discussions at breaks?
Step 3: Track Positional Changes and Experimentation
Every pre-season, Coach Scott tries something new. Maybe it's a forward playing down back, a midfielder spending time in the forward 50, or a key defender being given a run in the ruck.
What to look for:
- Who's playing where? Write down the starting positions and note any changes as the game goes on.
- Are there any surprises? A tall defender playing forward? A small forward on a wing? These are clues about the season ahead.
- How does the team structure look? Are they going tall or small? Are they flooding back or pressing high?
- Positional changes in pre-season often become permanent during the year.
- It tells you about the depth in certain positions. If a midfielder is playing forward, it might mean the Cats are light on for small forwards.
- It reveals the coach's thinking. Scott is one of the most strategic minds in the AFL competition, and his pre-season experiments are rarely random.
Step 4: Evaluate the VFL-Linked Players
The line between the senior team and the Geelong VFL side is blurrier than you think. Pre-season is where players from the reserves get their chance to stake a claim.
What to watch for:
- Players who've been on the list for a couple of years without breaking into the seniors. Is this their year?
- Mature-age recruits from the VFL team who've earned a shot.
- Any player who's coming back from a long-term injury.
- Are they competing at the level, or are they a step behind?
- Do they look like they belong in the AFL system?
- Are they doing the little things right—shepherding, blocking, pressuring?
- The VFL team is the breeding ground for future senior players. A strong pre-season from a VFL-listed player can fast-track them into the 22.
- It also tells you about the club's depth. If the VFL players are struggling, injuries during the season could be catastrophic.
Step 5: Assess Fitness and Injury Management
Pre-season is as much about conditioning as it is about football. How the Cats manage their players' workloads tells you a lot about the club's priorities.
What to watch for:
- Who's playing limited minutes? Some players might only get a half or a quarter.
- Who's not playing at all? Are they injured, or is it a managed rest?
- How do players look physically? Have they put on muscle? Are they moving well?
- A key player like Dangerfield or Hawkins spending extended time on the bench without explanation.
- Players who look gassed early in the game.
- Any visible limping or favoring of a body part.
- Young players who look like they've added size and strength over the off-season.
- Senior players moving freely and with purpose.
- A high work rate across the board, even in the third and fourth quarters.
Step 6: Analyze the Game Plan and Structure
This is the fun part. By the second or third pre-season game, you should start to see patterns in how the Cats want to play.
What to look for:
- How do they set up defensively? Are they zoning or playing man-on-man?
- What's their preferred method of moving the ball? Short kicks? Handball chains? Long bombs to Hawkins?
- How do they set up at stoppages? Are they flooding numbers to the contest or spreading wide?
- The Cats have traditionally been a strong contested-ball side. Is that still the case?
- How are they using the new Kardinia Park Redevelopment? The upgraded facilities and playing surface might influence their game plan.
- Are they playing a more attacking brand of footy, or is it the same defensive structure that's served them well?
- The pre-season game plan is often a simplified version of what you'll see in the regular season.
- It gives you a head start on understanding the team's strengths and weaknesses.
- It helps you spot potential issues before they become problems.
Step 7: Watch the Leaders
Leadership isn't just about the captain's armband. In pre-season, you can see who's stepping up, who's directing traffic, and who's setting the standard.
What to watch for:
- Who's doing the talking at breaks? Is it Selwood's ghost (metaphorically), or are new leaders emerging?
- How do the senior players interact with the younger ones?
- Who's leading by example in terms of effort and intensity?
- Patrick Dangerfield: Is he driving the standards or coasting through pre-season?
- Tom Hawkins: How's he working with the new forwards? Is he mentoring the next generation?
- Joel Selwood's legacy: Even though the former captain is retired, his influence should still be visible. Who's filling that leadership void?
Step 8: Keep an Eye on the Opposition
Yes, it's about the Cats. But the pre-season challenge also gives you a chance to scout the opposition.
What to look for:
- How are they setting up against Geelong's strengths?
- Are there any new players or tactics that could cause problems during the season?
- How does the Cats' game plan stack up against a different style?
- The AFL is a copycat competition. What works against the Cats will be studied by every other team.
- It gives you context for your own team's performance. A dominant win might mean less if the opposition is terrible.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake #1: Reading too much into individual stats. A player who gets 30 disposals in pre-season might be playing a different role than they will in the regular season. Context matters more than numbers.
Mistake #2: Ignoring the conditions. Wet weather, extreme heat, or a windy day at Kardinia Park can completely change the way the game is played. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Mistake #3: Forgetting that it's February. Players are still building fitness. The intensity is lower. The stakes are nonexistent. Don't draw hard conclusions.
Mistake #4: Not watching the VFL practice matches. The Geelong VFL team often plays separate pre-season games. These are goldmines for spotting future senior players.
Mistake #5: Getting emotionally invested in the result. I cannot stress this enough: the scoreboard in pre-season means absolutely nothing. The Cats could lose every practice match and still win the flag.
Your Pre-Season Challenge Checklist
Use this checklist for every pre-season game you watch. Tick off each item as you go.
- Set expectations: Remind yourself that pre-season is about information, not conclusions.
- Watch the new faces: Focus on draftees, recruits, and players returning from injury.
- Track positional changes: Note where players start and where they move to.
- Evaluate VFL-linked players: Look for players pushing for senior selection.
- Assess fitness and injury management: Watch for managed minutes and physical condition.
- Analyze the game plan: Identify patterns in defense, attack, and stoppage setups.
- Watch the leaders: See who's stepping up in the absence of Selwood.
- Scout the opposition: Note any tactics or players that could be a threat.
- Avoid common mistakes: Don't panic, don't overreact, and don't trust the scoreboard.
- Take notes: Write down observations immediately after the game while they're fresh.
But it's also a trap. It's easy to get carried away by a dominant performance or to despair over a poor one. The key is to stay grounded, to focus on the process, and to remember that the real test starts in Round 1.
So grab your notes, settle into your seat at GMHBA Stadium or your couch at home, and watch with intent. The Cats are building something special, and the pre-season is where it all begins.
Now, go enjoy the footy.
Want more Geelong Cats content? Check out our season previews for in-depth analysis of the upcoming campaign, or read about the incredible stories in women in football. And don't miss the latest sponsorship announcements that are shaping the club's future.
Reader Comments (0)