“Start coaching him harder”: The two shifts Josh Jenkins wants to see at Geelong in 2025

Josh Jenkins wants to see Geelong lock down their key position stars at either end of the ground - Jeremy Cameron and Sam De Koning - more in 2025.

Starting with Cameron, the former Cats ruck coach believes the team got too creative with the star forward in 2024, pushing him too far up the ground.

The former Coleman Medallist spent time on the wing and averaged a career-high 16.3 disposals per game.

“Stop moving Jeremy Cameron around the ground, which they did for the most part in the back half of the year, but it became a little bit frustrating to me and those who barrack for the football club – which I don’t – seeing him on the wing when it looked to me like they needed him inside forward 50,” Jenkins told SEN’s The Run Home.

“Tom Hawkins was struggling with his body and hadn’t done much of a pre-season and the forward line wasn’t functioning sensationally.

“The idea was born in the pre-season of 2024. I think we were in love with the novelty aspect of it. I don’t know how well it was servicing the team. It was servicing him because he was having some amazing games.

“It was effective for him in the early part of 2024, but I reckon it died in 2024 as well. There’s no Tom Hawkins now. I think Cameron needs to be parked inside forward 50 from rounds one through to whenever they finish they season.

“Be that spearhead in the way he goes about it. He needs to be inside 50 for 98 per cent of his season.”

Similarly with De Koning, Geelong used him in the ruck at stages in 2024 as he dealt with injury niggles and Chris Scott’s side struggled to find its number one ruckman.

However, Jenkins believes the young star needs to be locked in as a key defender – and coached harder to bring out his competitive spirit.

“Start coaching Sam De Koning harder. I love him. I love the kid. I’ve worked alongside him, played some VFL footy with him. I loved working with him, but I reckon at stages last year he competed harder against me in trainings (when I was at the club in 2022 and 2023) than he did in games,” Jenkins said.

“For whatever reason, whether he got comfortable or confused in his role, I just saw him sagging a lot against his opponent and allowing them to take marks up the ground.

“I just reckon at different stages last year he was giving his opponent space and dropping off to protect the goals wherever possible.

“Lock him in as your number one key defender. Forget about any time in the ruck. They need coach him accordingly. Coach him hard.

“He obviously had the face mark and the knee niggle, but when you’re out there you’re deemed 100 per cent fit – even if we know you’re not.

“I reckon he can be coached really hard, and I know him, and I know that’s what he wants. So they need to bring the best out of him and his competitive spirit.”

Geelong hosts Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium on February 17th in a scratch match before then hosting Essendon in their official AAMI Community Series match.