Geelong return home on Saturday afternoon and it is set to be an important early season test, set to do battle with Fremantle at GMHBA Stadium. 

The Cats will roll out their first debutant in 2026 with exciting young ruckman, Mitch Edwards selected to play his first AFL game on Saturday. 

Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron also return to the starting line-up, but they will take on a star-studded Fremantle side featuring the likes of Luke Jackson and Caleb Serong. 

With so many exciting things to keep an eye on this weekend, take a look ahead to Geelong's clash with Fremantle, proudly presented by Lee Kum Kee. 

KEY DETAILS 

2026 AFL Season | Round 1
Geelong Cats vs Fremantle
GMHBA Stadium, Geelong
Saturday March 14, 4.15pm AEDT

TEAM SELECTION

LAST TIME WE MET

The Cats and Dockers kicked off their 2025 campaign against each other in nearly identical circumstances to this weekend, on a Saturday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium in Round 1. 

It was a fascinating battle; Geelong kicked away to a big lead by half time but had to withstand a third quarter surge from the Dockers, before pulling away with a brilliant 10-goal final term to win by 78 points. 

Bailey Smith (32 disposals) dominated in his club debut, Jeremy Cameron led the way down forward, while Jack Henry and Tom Stewart were outstanding in defence. 

LEE KUM KEE - PIVOTAL MATCH-UP

Jack Henry v Josh Treacy 

Geelong's defensive anchor and Fremantle's bullocking full forward, it is set to be an enticing match-up on Saturday to see how Jack Henry performs against Josh Treacy inside the Cats' defensive 50. 

Treacy has developed into the Dockers spearhead forward, kicking a team-high 44 goals last year while also finishing fourth in the AFL for contested marks. 

He was reasonably well held in the last meeting between the two teams, with Geelong restricting him to just nine disposals and one goal. 

Henry is coming off another brilliant season where he led the Cats for intercept marks and intercept possessions, an incredible feat considering he missed five games early in the season. 

This will be a pivotal battle and could go a long way to deciding the result on Saturday afternoon. 

KEY PLAYER TO WATCH

Mitch Edwards

There are plenty of Cats to keep an eye on this Saturday, but there might be none more exciting than debutant Mitch Edwards. 

A Western Australian product standing at 206cm tall, Edwards is an exciting young ruckman with plenty of agility and athleticism who has the ability to have an impact right across the ground. 

The debutant impressed at VFL level late last year, before stringing together a strong pre-season to put himself in the selection window heading into 2026. 

HOW TO GET TICKETS

Tickets are selling fast for Saturday's game, but there are still options available to make sure you see all the action at Geelong's 2026 home opener. 

Follow the link here to head to Ticketmaster and secure your seat for Saturday afternoon.

Alternatively, you can also follow the link here to view all hospitality options for a different way to experience the Round 1 clash. 

With 10 home games ahead at GMHBA Stadium in the 2026 season, there has never been a better time to sign up as a Geelong Cats member with plenty of options available to suit all fans. 

WHERE TO WATCH 

Geelong's Round 1 match against Fremantle will be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo. 

The coverage on both platforms will commence at 4.00pm AEDT, ahead of the opening bounce at 4.15pm from GMHBA Stadium. 

You can also catch all the action on K rock from 3.00pm AEDT, listen via 95.5FM, the K rock app or the AFL app. 

The never say die attitude of the Geelong Football Club was in full effect on Saturday afternoon, as the Cats stormed home from a significant deficit to record their first win of the 2026 season. 

Trailing by as much as 35 points midway through the second quarter, Geelong slowly chipped away at Fremantle's lead throughout the afternoon and finished with a flurry in a scintillating second half, keeping the Dockers goalless in the final term to clinch a 10 point victory. 

Shannon Neale was sublime inside forward 50 and stamped his authority on the contest after half time, finishing with an equal career-high five goals while Jeremy Cameron made an impressive return with 23 disposals and three goals. 

Max Holmes (32 disposals) and Bailey Smith (30 disposals) reigned supreme through the middle of the ground, while Tom Stewart (28 disposals, eight intercepts) was terrific in defence to help stem Fremantle's momentum at pivotal stages of the match. 

A week after conceding a substantial score on the Gold Coast, Geelong looked shaky in defence early on Saturday as Fremantle found 12 scoring shots from 16 inside 50s in the opening term, leaving the Cats staring at a 33 point deficit at the first break. 

Tanner Bruhn picked up where he left off with 10 disposals in the first quarter, but the Cats were well beaten in clearances (-6) and contested possessions (-8) which had a telling influence on the contest early. 

Geelong needed a spark in the second quarter and it came in the form of Shaun Mannagh, who made his presence felt with some brilliant finishing around the big sticks, kicking three consecutive goals to drag his side back into the contest. 

Momentum shifted once again as Fremantle reestablished their buffer but another late Geelong flurry, this time off the boot of Jeremy Cameron, pulled the Cats back within a manageable 22 points at half time. 

Max Holmes was instrumental in Geelong's resurgence finishing the opening half with 20 disposals and four clearances, while Cameron (six score involvements, three goals) and Bailey Smith (17 disposals, two goal assists) started to rise to the occasion. 

The opening goal of the second half came from the most unlikely of sources, with Jack Henry sneaking forward and hitting the scoreboard for the first time since Round 17 of the 2023 season. 

Big players standing up in monumental moments had become the theme of the day and it continued in the third term, Shannon Neale started to make his presence felt with a pair of contested marks and three big goals in quick succession. 

Proceedings were certainly flowing back in Geelong's favour, as they trimmed what was a 35-point deficit back to just 10 points heading into three quarter time. 

Holmes continued to find plenty of the footy and amassed a game-high 488 metres gained in the opening three quarters, while Tom Stewart worked his way into the game brilliantly and started to have a big influence in defence.

Bailey Smith nailed a brilliant finish early in the last quarter and Jack Martin followed suit shortly after, putting Geelong in front for the first time in the game at the eight minute mark of the fourth term. 

Another goal to Shannon Neale equalled his career-high and a superb defensive effort held Fremantle goalless in the final term, as the Cats sealed a phenomenal 10 point victory over the Dockers. 

Geelong will now enjoy a week off to rest and recover, before returning to action in Round 3 against Adelaide. 

2026 AFL Season - Round 1

GEELONG          3.1     8.4    13.8     16.14   (110)  
FREMANTLE    8.4    11.8   14.12    14.16   (100) 

GOALS
Geelong: Neale 5, Mannagh, Cameron 3, Smith, Martin, Henry, Dangerfield, Clark 1
Fremantle: Dudley 3, Treacy, Bolton 2, Young, Serong, Reid, O'Driscoll, Jackson, Brayshaw, Amiss 1

BEST
Geelong: Holmes, Smith, Neale, Stewart, Cameron, Mannagh
Fremantle: Jackson, Serong, Clark, Dudley, Young

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

CROWD: 27,815 @ GMHBA Stadium