Alright, Cats fans—let’s talk about that sweet spot between Christmas leftovers and Round 1. You know the feeling: you’re itching for footy, but the season’s still a few months away. That’s where pre-season training reports come in. They’re your lifeline to what’s happening at Kardinia Park before the real stuff begins.

But here’s the thing—reading a training report isn’t just about spotting who’s running laps. It’s about decoding what Chris Scott is building, which young guns are pushing for selection, and whether that dodgy hamstring from last year is actually healed. Done right, these reports turn you from a passive fan into someone who can talk shop at the pub like a seasoned analyst.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to read, interpret, and even write your own pre-season training reports for the Cats. By the end, you’ll know what to look for, what to ignore, and how to spot the early signs of a premiership contender.

Prerequisites / What You Need

Before you dive in, you’ll need a few basics:

Access to club media: The Geelong Cats website, official social channels, and local Geelong news outlets (like the Geelong Advertiser) are goldmines.
A basic understanding of AFL training phases: Pre-season typically runs from November to February, with different focuses each month.
Patience: Training reports can be repetitive. The real insights come from reading between the lines.
A notebook or notes app: You’ll want to track trends—who’s consistently impressing, who’s missing sessions, and who’s being managed.
Familiarity with key names: Know your Hawkins from your Dangerfield, your Selwood (retired but still around the club) from your new draftees.

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Know the Pre-Season Timeline

Pre-season isn’t one long slog. It’s broken into phases, and each phase tells a different story.

November (Return to training): The first few weeks are about conditioning. You’ll see time trials, beep tests, and basic skills work. Don’t panic if a veteran like Tom Hawkins is taking it easy—that’s by design.
December (Skills and drills): This is where match simulation starts creeping in. Watch for which young players are getting time with the senior group.
January (Match practice): Intra-club games and scratch matches. This is your best window into who’s pushing for a Round 1 spot.
February (Pre-season games): Actual AFL practice matches and the Community Series. These are the closest you’ll get to real footy before the real thing.

Pro tip: Early reports are about fitness. Late reports are about form. Don’t confuse the two.

Step 2: Identify the Key Reporters

Not all training reports are created equal. Some are written by club media staff who are naturally positive. Others come from independent journalists who’ll give you the unvarnished truth.

Club media (Geelong Cats website, official socials): Great for highlights, but they’ll rarely criticise a player. Treat them as a starting point.
Local journalists (e.g., Geelong Advertiser’s reporters): More balanced. They’ll note who’s struggling with injury or form.
Fan forums and blogs (BigFooty, Reddit, independent sites like this one): Unfiltered but sometimes unreliable. Cross-reference with official sources.

Common mistake: Taking a single report as gospel. Always compare three or four sources.

Step 3: Focus on the Key Entities

When you read a report, your eyes should go straight to these names and topics:

Patrick Dangerfield: How’s his body holding up? At this stage of his career, any missed session is worth noting.
Joel Selwood: He’s retired, but he’s often around the club. Reports might mention his mentoring role.
Tom Hawkins: Watch for his workload management. The Cats are famous for resting their older stars during pre-season.
Chris Scott: Look for quotes from Coach Scott. He’s usually measured, but sometimes he’ll drop hints about selection or game plan tweaks.
New draftees: The AFL Draft is fresh in everyone’s minds. Which first-year players are turning heads?
Injury updates: This is the meat of training reports. Who’s in the rehab group? Who’s back to full training?

Real example: If you see Dangerfield in a non-contact jersey, that’s a yellow flag. If you see him missing entirely, that’s a red one.

Step 4: Read Between the Lines

Club media reports are often coded. Here’s how to decode them:

“Managing his workload” = He’s old or coming back from injury, and they’re being cautious.
“In the rehab group” = Something’s up, but they’re not saying what.
“Impressed in match simulation” = This player is pushing for a senior spot.
“Building his fitness base” = He’s behind the rest of the group.
“Available for selection” = He’s fit, but they’re not guaranteeing a game.

Watch out for: Overly positive language in February. Everyone looks good in February. The real test comes in March.

Step 5: Track Trends Over Time

A single training report is a snapshot. A series of reports over weeks is a movie.

Create a simple log: Player name, date, what they did, any notable comments.
Look for patterns: If a young midfielder is consistently mentioned in match simulation, they’re likely to get a debut early in the season.
Spot the red flags: If Hawkins hasn’t done a full session in three weeks, that’s a concern.
Celebrate the green shoots: A draftee who’s already training with the senior group is a good sign for the future.

Tool suggestion: A simple spreadsheet or a note in your phone works fine. Don’t overcomplicate it.

Step 6: Connect Training Reports to Season Previews

This is where the magic happens. Training reports aren’t just for gossip—they directly inform your season previews.

Use injury updates to predict Round 1 line-ups.
Use form reports to identify breakout candidates.
Use Chris Scott’s quotes to understand the game plan.

For example, if reports all summer mention that the Cats are working on a faster ball movement, you can bet that’ll be a theme in your season preview. If Dangerfield is being managed heavily, you might pencil him in for a reduced role early in the season.

Interlink opportunity: Once you’ve written your training report analysis, link to your season previews at `/season-previews` for a full picture.

Step 7: Write Your Own Training Report (Optional)

Want to go from reader to creator? Here’s a simple template:

Title: Pre-Season Training Report: [Date] – [Key Observation] Opening paragraph: What happened today (e.g., “The Cats hit the track at Kardinia Park for a two-hour session focused on contested ball.”) Key observations: 3-4 bullet points on specific players or drills. Quotes: Include anything from Chris Scott or players. Injury update: A quick rundown of who’s in and out. What it means: Your take on the bigger picture. Closing: A teaser for the next session.

Pro tip: Keep it conversational. Your readers are fans, not coaches. They want insight, not jargon.

Step 8: Share and Discuss

Pre-season is a community event. After you’ve read or written your report, share it.

Post on fan forums like BigFooty for discussion.
Share on social media with relevant hashtags (e.g., #GeelongCats, #AFL).
Link to other resources like the broadcast schedule at `/broadcast-schedule` so fans know when to watch pre-season games.

Common mistake: Keeping your insights to yourself. The best part of following pre-season is the conversation.

Pro Tips / Common Mistakes

Pro Tips

Look for the unsung heroes: Reports often focus on Dangerfield, Hawkins, and Selwood. But the real stories are the fringe players—the ones fighting for a spot. A 25-year-old VFL player who’s suddenly training with the seniors? That’s a story.
Watch the weather: Training at Kardinia Park in January is very different from training in February. Wet sessions often lead to reduced contact work. Don’t read too much into a quiet session.
Track the Geelong VFL: The reserves are your window into the future. If a VFL player is consistently mentioned in training reports, they’re on the cusp of AFL selection.
Use the Kardinia Park Redevelopment as context: The stadium upgrade means different training areas might be available. If reports mention new facilities, that’s a positive sign for player development.
Compare with other clubs: How are the Cats tracking compared to other contenders? If every other club is reporting injuries while Geelong is healthy, that’s a competitive advantage.

Common Mistakes

Panicking over a missed session: One missed session doesn’t mean a season-ending injury. Wait for a pattern.
Ignoring the VFL: The AFL Draft and the Geelong VFL are your pipelines. If you’re only watching the senior team, you’re missing half the story.
Taking club media at face value: They’re not lying, but they’re also not telling you everything. Always cross-reference.
Overrating pre-season form: Remember when everyone thought [insert player] was going to have a breakout year based on one good intra-club game? Yeah, don’t do that.
Forgetting the Brownlow Medal: Pre-season form doesn’t always translate to Brownlow votes. The league MVP award is about consistency, not January heroics.

Checklist Summary

Here’s your quick-reference checklist for reading or writing pre-season training reports:

Know the pre-season timeline (Nov to Feb) and what each phase means.
Identify your sources—club media, local journalists, fan forums.
Focus on key entities: Dangerfield, Selwood, Hawkins, Chris Scott, new draftees, injury updates.
Read between the lines for coded language (“managing workload” = caution).
Track trends over time with a simple log.
Connect training reports to your season previews at `/season-previews`.
Write your own reports using the template (optional but rewarding).
Share and discuss with the fan community.
Avoid common mistakes like panicking over one session or ignoring the VFL.
Celebrate the small wins—a healthy list, a promising draftee, a new stadium upgrade.

Pre-season is the most optimistic time of year for any AFL fan. Every player is fit, every draftee is a future star, and every team is a contender. Training reports are your way of staying grounded while still dreaming big.

So grab your notebook, fire up the Geelong Cats website, and start tracking. The 2025 AFL Season is coming, and the Cats are building something special at Kardinia Park.

See you at the Cattery.

Want more? Check out our broadcast schedule for pre-season games at `/broadcast-schedule`, and don’t miss our Indigenous Round celebration coverage at `/indigenous-round-celebration`.

Pre-Season Training Reports: Geelong Cats' Preparation