Geelong Cats AFL 2025 Team Preview, Predictions & Player Movement

Jeremy Darke

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Last updated: 17 Feb 2025

Jeremy Darke 17 Feb 2025

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Geelong Cats predicted to finish 7th in the 2025 AFL season.
Strong midfield led by elite players like Tom Stewart & Patrick Dangerfield.
What impact will the addition of Bailey Smith have on the cats 2025 season?

Geelong Cats predicted to finish 7th in the 2025 AFL season. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Geelong Cats AFL 2025 Team Preview, Predictions & Player Movement

Geelong Cats AFL 2025 Team Preview, Predictions & Player Movement
Where the Geelong Cats finish in 2025: 7
Projected Win total: 13
Best Contender for Brownlow Medal: Tom Stewart
What’s to like
What’s NOT to like
Geelong Cats Offseason Player Movement
Geelong Cats Predicted Round 1 Squad

Where the Geelong Cats finish in 2025: 7

In 2024, everyone expected that the Cats would stay in the eight but wouldn’t be a real challenger, well we were wrong. Geelong went within just two kicks of another Grand Final and did it all without their future hall of famer in the squad.

In 2025, we are going to make the same mistake again and give the Cats a prediction of sneaking into the eight, but I’ll put the brakes on and say they are going to be just a win or two outside of the top 4, with this season expected to be as tight as ever.

Geelong know how to win, it is grained into the walls at Kardinia Park and in the blood of the players, with talent like Tom Stewart, Ollie Henry and Max Holmes, being joined by young-gun Bailey Smith from the Bulldogs, the Cats may finish 7th but don’t be surprised if they fight for a premiership in the AFL Finals.

Projected Win total: 13

A Pythagorean expectation of 13 wins might put Geelong in seventh, but they are just 3 wins from a minor premiership.

My initial reactions was this was too low, but when looking to make adjustments to move the Cats a little higher, the match didn’t falter, as the teams with more predicted deserve to have them.

With some experience departing from the club and some players moving into more predominant roles, the Cats are expected to have a few growing pains and might take a little while to get started, but come finals time, they will be ready.

Best Contender for Brownlow Medal: Tom Stewart

At the age of 31 years old, Tom Stewart showed his versatility in 2024 playing a large chunk of the season in the midfield instead of his usual role in the half-back line. The five-time All-Australia played some of the best footy of his career and was heavily involved as he covered as captain for Patrick Dangerfield while he missed a large part of the season.

Expected to return to the backline, Stewart will be the steadier as young guns like Jack Henry explode through the midfield.

What’s to like

The midfield for the Cats is one of the best in the competition and when they pressure you with hard gets and commitment to the ball all the opposition can do is watch in awe.

Patrick Dangerfield is still elite, while the addition of Bailey Smith from the Bulldogs to Ollie Dempsey provides even more energy and youth that can carry the Cats to another premiership run.

The halfback line of Tom Stewart, Sam De Koning and Lawson Humphries is going to help Geelong bog down their opposition and make things difficult getting quality ball inside 50.

What’s NOT to like

Due to injury, the Cats were unsettled in 2024 at ruck with 34-year-old Rhys Stanley becoming the preferred option with Toby Conway missing the majority of the season. Mark Blicavs ended up in a quarter of the Cat’s contest while Sam De Koning also played plenty of time in the position between rounds 15-19.

Managing injury is tough but the Cats need to find the right full-timer at ruck that can give his elite midfield the best chance to win the stoppage clearances.

Geelong Cats Offseason Player Movement

Cillian Burke (Category B rookie), Lennox Hofmann (No.66 draft pick), Xavier Ivisic (Rookie Draft), Keighton Matofai-Forbes (No.69 draft pick), Jack Martin (delisted free agent), Jacob Molier (No.52 draft pick), Joe Pike (Rookie Draft), Jay Polkinghorne (No.44 draft pick), Patrick Retschko (Rookie Draft), Bailey Smith (trade, Western Bulldogs)

OUT

Phoenix Foster (delisted), Joe Furphy (delisted), Mitch Hardie (delisted), Tom Hawkins (retired), Emerson Jeka (delisted), Oscar Murdoch (delisted), Brandan Parfitt (delisted), Gary Rohan (delisted), Zach Tuohy (retired), James Willis (delisted)