From the moment it was introduced in 2012, Free Agency has become one of the most intriguing and exciting periods on the football calendar.
It gave players another avenue to change clubs, with many seeking a fresh start at a new home.
Since its inception, Geelong has brought in seven players through free agency including two integral members of the 2022 Premiership team.
Take a look back at the Cats signings ahead of the 2025 Free Agency period, which is set to commence at 9am AEST on Friday morning.
2012: Jared Rivers - Unrestricted Free Agent
Geelong's inaugural free agency signing came in 2012 and it was key defender, Jared Rivers who signed as an unrestricted free agent.
Rivers spent a decade with Melbourne and played 150 games, before making the decision to join the Cats at the end of the 2012 season.
From 2013 through to 2015 the defender played 44 games in the Hoops, playing in five Finals matches and becoming an important part of Geelong's defensive unit.
Rivers announced his retirement in 2015, finishing on 194 total games across his career.
2014: Sam Blease - Delisted Free Agent
The Cats' second free agency signing was another product out of Casey Fields, with live-wire Sam Blease joining Geelong at the end of 2014.
Blease had spent four seasons with the Demons and featured in 33 games at the top level, crossing over to the Cats ahead of the 2015 AFL season.
Unfortunately a head knock saw Blease retire in August 2015, playing one AFL game for Geelong in his only year at the club.
2015: Scott Selwood - Restricted Free Agent
After a successful stint with West Coast, Scott Selwood joined brother Joel at Kardinia Park ahead of the 2016 season.
Selwood spent eight years with the Eagles playing 135 games, bringing an impressive resume that included a club Best and Fairest award in 2012.
At the end of 2015 Selwood joined the Cats, going on to play four seasons and 34 games in the Hoops, which included six Finals matches.
Injuries unfortunately curtailed his career, finishing up his playing days and turning to coaching at the end of 2019.
2018: Luke Dahlhaus - Unrestricted Free Agent
A premiership player (2016) with over 150 games of experience, there was plenty of anticipation around Geelong's signing of Luke Dahlhaus after an impressive stint with the Western Bulldogs.
A courageous small forward, Dahlhaus joined the Cats at the end of 2018 and quickly became an important part of Geelong's line-up.
From 2019 through to 2022 the forward played 71 games for Geelong, featuring in eight Finals and booting 31 goals along the way.
Dahlhaus retired at the end of the 2022 season, finishing on 225 total games.
2020: Isaac Smith - Unrestricted Free Agent
Arguably one of the most successful free agent signings in AFL history, Isaac Smith headed down the highway and joined Geelong at the end of the 2020 season.
Smith had spent a decade at Hawthorn and played 210 games in the brown and gold, featuring in three premierships before swapping to the blue and white Hoops.
Across the next three seasons Smith played 70 games, most notably featuring in Geelong's 2022 Premiership and winning the Norm Smith Medal after an incredible display on Grand Final day.
Smith retired at the end of 2023 finishing on 280 games, a four-time premiership player and a Norm Smith Medallist.
2021: Tyson Stengle - Delisted Free Agent
One of the first picked players every week for Geelong, Stengle's journey has been well documented but it continues to get better each year.
His first season with the Cats was simply extraordinary, earning an All-Australian selection and becoming a Premiership player in 2022.
Across four seasons at the club, Stengle has played 93 games and has kicked 160 goals, impressively only being held goalless in 19 games which is a remarkable feat for a small forward.
He continued to show his importance throughout 2025, most notably in his performance against Gold Coast in Round 13 where he kicked four goals in treacherous conditions, on a day where only 14 goals were kicked between the two sides.
2024: Jack Martin - Delisted Free Agent
It was a brilliant feel-good story in 2025, with Jack Martin making an immediate impact at Geelong after signing with the club at the end of last year.
Martin made his club debut against his old side, Gold Coast in Round 12 and spent the first few weeks across half back.
Eventually he made the switch forward and was influential, kicking 12 goals across a nine week stretch, while also playing 13 of the last 14 games in Geelong's season.
Martin also featured in his first AFL Grand Final, a great story that will hopefully continue to get better over the coming years.
