Footy is back and Geelong are just one day away from their season opener, as they prepare to take on Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

In front of the Cats faithful, Geelong will look to get their campaign away to a winning start despite a scorching heatwave forecasted throughout the match. 

Supporters will get their first look at Bailey Smith as he prepares to pull on the Hoops for the first time, while there will be a injection of youth with Connor O'Sullivan, Mitch Knevitt and Jhye Clark all named in the side. 

See below everything you need to know heading into Saturday's clash with Fremantle. 

KEY DETAILS  

2025 AFL Season - Round One
Geelong v Fremantle
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Saturday March 15, 1.20pm AEDT

TEAM SELECTION

LAST TIME WE MET

Geelong headed west to take on the Dockers in round 22 last year, coming away with the four points in a nail-biting 11 point win at Optus Stadium. 

The match went back and forth with neither team able to breakaway, Shaun Mannagh sealing the deal with the final goal just 90 seconds before the final siren. 

Geelong were inspired by a brilliant performance from Patrick Dangerfield who finished with 20 disposals and 11 clearances, while Gryan Miers (23 dispsoals, one goal), Zach Guthrie (20 disposals, 11 intercept possessions) and Max Holmes (20 disposals, 677 metres gained) were all instrumental throughout the match.

RECENT HISTORY

One of the more underrated rivalries in recent history, Geelong snapped a three game losing streak against the Dockers when they secured victory at Optus Stadium late last year. 

Across the last 10 meetings the Cats hold a slight advantage winning six games to Fremantle's four, while eight clashes have been decided by 11 points or less dating back to 2010. 

KEY PLAYER TO WATCH

BAILEY SMITH

The pre-season is complete and it is time for the Cats to unveil their star recruit, with Bailey Smith selected on a wing for Saturday's clash with Fremantle. 

With a solid block of training behind him, Smith is set to play in his first match since round 23 in the 2023 AFL season, after featuring in 103 games with the Western Bulldogs. 

Cats fans will get their first look at Smith in the Hoops in a home and away match, with the star midfielder set to bolster Geelong's on-ball division in 2025. 

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Geelong kicks off its 2025 AFL campaign against Fremantle this Saturday at GMHBA Stadium. First bounce is at 1.20pm, with tickets available through Ticketmaster.

At a family-friendly time slot and nice weather expected, there will be plenty of fun and festivities at GMHBA Stadium out on St Mary’s Oval, with food trucks, the AFL Playground, face-painting, giveaways and more from 11am.

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 12.45pm, with a Macca’s Kick 2 Kick post-game also scheduled.

WHERE TO WATCH

Saturday's match will be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo from 1.00pm AEDT, ahead of the opening bounce at 1.20pm from GMHBA Stadium. 

Cats fans looking to watch the round one clash are encouraged to secure their Digital Plus Membership for the 2025 season, which provides 12 months of Kayo Premium so you do not miss any of the action from Geelong's campaign. 

The match will also be broadcast on K rock Football for those listening on radio, tune in via FM 95.5, krockfootball.live or the AFL app from 12.00pm to follow all the pre-match coverage. 

GEELONG launched its 2025 AFL season with a dominant 78-point victory against Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.

The Cats were challenged by the Dockers in the third term after a scintillating start by the home team, but a 10-goal final term saw Geelong record a 23.9 (147) to 10.9 (69) victory.

CATS v DOCKERS Full match coverage and stats

The weather wasn’t the only thing that was hot with the Cats' pressure affording no time and space for the opposition in the opening term.

Geelong recorded 32 first-quarter tackles, doubling the AFL’s average and that was the catalyst for a dominant start at GMHBA Stadium.

Fresh from being presented his guernsey from Jimmy Bartel in the room’s pre-game, it didn’t take long for club debutant Bailey Smith to have an impact.

He drove the Cats inside 50 for the opening goal of the game, putting it out in the path of Gryan Miers to run onto, and the Grovedale local did the rest with a superb finish on his right from the boundary line.

Andrew Brayshaw responded with a running finish of his own. The Dockers were out on the counter again moments later before Mark Blicavs got his fist to the footy to spoil Fremantle’s attacking foray.

That intercept proved crucial leading to a Jack Bowes goal at the very next passage of play to help the Cats to an early seven-point lead.  

Bowes was involved in the Cats' third major shrugging off a tackle before handballing it to Ollie Henry, who extended Geelong’s lead to 14 points after 18 minutes.

Geelong’s pressure was elite in the opening term with Tyson Stengle leading all comers with five first-quarter tackles. It was his pressure that saw the Cats force a turnover and it was Ollie Dempsey who benefitted with a karate kick finish on the goal line to extend the Cats' lead to 20 points.

Skipper Patrick Dangerfield capped off a dominant start by Geelong to hand the Cats a 27-point lead at quarter-time.

Geelong carried the momentum into the second quarter with back-to-back goals from Brad Close and Max Holmes extending the Cats advantage.

Fremantle ended Geelong’s run of six consecutive goals with a nice finish from Josh Treacy across his body from the pocket to cut the Cats' lead to 31 points.

A clever kick inside 50 from Miers hit a running Holmes, who kicked his second major for the quarter to extend the Cats' advantage back out to 37 points.

After setting the tone with his elite tackling pressure, Stengle was rewarded kicking the next two majors, both from set shots.

Jeremy Cameron became Geelong’s ninth goalkicker of the game when he went back with the flight to mark at the top of the square.

Geelong increased their advantage to 54-points at half time.

Michael Frederick, who kicked a goal just before half time, kicked the opening goal of the third term as the Dockers started to swing the momentum their way.

Bailey Banfield quickly added another to reduce Geelong’s advantage to 42 points.

A sweeping handball from Mitch Knevitt and a clever kick from Brad Close to the leading Dempsey helped the Cats halt the Dockers' run of three consecutive goals.

The next five minutes belonged to Docker first-gamer Murphy Reid who kicked four goals to cut Geelong’s lead to 22 points.

Fremantle had all the momentum and appeared to have kicked another, but Jack Henry got a crucial fist in on the goal-line to leave the Cats leading by 21-points with a quarter to play.

It took seven minutes before the first goal came in the final term through Tom Atkins after Shannon Neale found him in space after taking a strong contested mark.

It was a big couple of minutes for Neale with the key forward marking inside 50 again, but this time going back and finishing off his work to extend the Cats' lead to 33-points.

At the opposite end of the ground, Geelong’s defensive duo of Tom Stewart and Jack Henry were starting to assert their dominance in the air.

An intercept mark from Geelong’s vice-captain resulting in a Stengle goal, his third of the afternoon to give the Cats a 41-point lead.

Geelong, Geelong, Geelong started to echo around the ground as the home crowd of 25,372 came to voice.

The GMHBA Stadium crowd witnessed Jeremy Cameron kick his 650th career goal, before Smith received a standing ovation after kicking his first goal as a Cat.

Geelong going on to kick 10 final quarter goals to record a 78-point Round 1 win at GMHBA Stadium.

GEELONG                    5.4    12.4    13.6   23.9 (147)
FREMANTLE                1.1    3.4      9.9     10.9 (69)
 
GOALS 
Geelong: Cameron 4, Stengle 3, O.Henry 3, Holmes 2, Dangerfield 2, Dempsey 2, Miers, Bowes, Close, Atkins, Neale, Smith, De Koning
Fremantle: Reid 4, Frederick 2, Brayshaw, Treacy, Banfield, Cox
 
BEST 
Geelong: Smith, Dangerfield, Humphries, De Koning, Stengle, Holmes
Fremantle: Johnson, Reid, Brayshaw, O'Meara
 
INJURIES 
Geelong: TBC
Fremantle: Switkowski (groin)
 
SUBSTITUTES 
Geelong: Jhye Clark (replaced Mark O'Connor in the final term)
Fremantle: Heath Chapman (replaced Sam Switkowski in the third term)
 
Crowd: 25,372 at GMHBA Stadium