There are two polar opposites driving Cats veteran Jimmy Bartel through his 15th pre-season – the pain of missing the finals for the first time in nearly a decade and the joy of being a new dad.

The 32-year-old had an indifferent 2015 season riddled with injury; the lowlight of which was a torn medial ligament suffered in Geelong’s round 3 win over Gold Coast.

An infection to that knee saw Bartel hospitalised and his return to football delayed further until he returned in round 15 to see out the year. 

But to top it all off, the three-time premiership star spent the finals series on the sidelines as the Cats slipped out of the eight for the first time in nine years.

“It wasn’t a great experience,” Bartel admits.

“I’m a pretty competitive person. I was pretty bitter about watching other sides go well.”

“[We’ve] definitely hit the track running pretty hard for pre-season this year because it’s not going to happen two years in a row.”

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, however, and for the 2007 Brownlow medallist it came in the shape of first child Aston James Bartel in late November.

“I’ve just been enjoying every day with him. I’m pretty impatient – I want him to hurry up and grow up so I can take him outside and do all the boy things with him,” Bartel said.

“I think you certainly do appreciate your time at the club with a little one at home. You push pretty hard but then you’ve got something to look forward to at the end of the day.”