Will they improve? Will they regress? The big questions facing Geelong in 2025

SEN Breakfast hosts Sam Edmund and Kane Cornes have run their eyes over Geelong and how they’re shaping up for the 2025 campaign.

With the trade and free agency period now complete, Edmund and Cornes discussed how the club may improve in 2025, how they may regress if things go wrong and the big questions facing the club next season.

The Cats rebounded well in 2024, finishing third on the ladder with 15 wins and eight losses before falling in a tight Preliminary Final to eventual premiers Brisbane at the MCG.

How can they improve?

“I think you can make the case that they’ll be around the mark again,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.

“They’re going to get an extra home game … and it’s one of the toughest places to play, it’s a huge advantage.

“Bailey Smith comes in to bolster a midfield that probably needs some bolstering, albeit their midfield numbers were okay.

“I just think you’ll get some improvement from Tanner Bruhn, Jye Clark hasn’t played much but they’ve got huge raps on him … Max Holmes as well, hopefully he has full confidence in his body to unleash because when he does do that like the Qualifying Final against Port Adelaide, he is as dynamic a player as there is in football. Ollie Henry is also only scratching the surface.

“They’ve still got a few players in their prime like Tom Stewart … they’re going to be there again.”

Edmund added: “They led that Prelim against Brisbane by 25 points at one stage … Sam De Koning is also hopefully back to his best.”

How might they regress?

“Clearly no ruck is a big issue for me,” Cornes said.

“I just think you need someone who can compete … Chris Scott loves an athletic ruckman over a lumbering big … which you get from Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs.

“They have Toby Conway, but you couldn’t be confident that he can stand up for a full season with his body, as much as they love his talent.

“Then there’s the aging players we often talk about … but I don’t think that’s as big an issue as others with their rebuilding on the run. I think they’ve done a really good job of resetting on the run with players they’ve brought in.

“But I don’t have many concerns and I’m not writing them off at all.”

The other 2025 burning questions

“The question is as it is each and every year, can they keep contending?” Edmund asked.

“Will they defy equalisation gravity? Will they ever drop off, or will they always contend?”