Geelong has been well-renowned for their ability to recruit talent through the draft in recent decades, but they surprisingly have not been overly active in the first round of drafts. 

Over the past 11 years, the Cats have only held first-round picks in six seasons but their strike rate has been good, with their most recent picks starting to blossom at the top level. 

Entering the 2025 AFL Draft next week, Geelong will be back on the clock in the first round, currently holding pick number 19. 

Take a look through Geelong's first-round draft picks over the last decade.

2014 - Nakia Cockatoo, Pick 10

A player that entered the league with plenty of expectations, Nakia Cockatoo produced a number of highlights during his short stint with Geelong. 

Selected with the Cats' top pick in the 2014 draft, Cockatoo went on to play 34 games for the club over six years, kicking 25 goals including a memorable one against Fremantle in 2017. 

He was traded to Brisbane at the end of 2020 and played a further 15 AFL games there, before injuries unfortunately curtailed his career.

2018 - Jordan Clark, Pick 15

After a three-year hiatus from the first-round of the draft, the Cats returned in 2018 and selected Jordan Clark with their top pick.

The dashing half back out of Western Australia spent three years with Geelong and played 32 games, before returning home at the end of 2021 and joining Fremantle. 

During his time with the Cats, Clark earned a Rising Star nomination before being selected to the 22under22 team (2022) and the All-Australian team (2025) with the Dockers.

2019 - Cooper Stephens, Pick 16 & Sam De Koning, Pick 19

A trade with West Coast involving Tim Kelly saw the Cats take two first-round picks into the 2019 draft, selecting Cooper Stephens from the Geelong Falcons and Sam De Koning from the Dandenong Stingrays. 

Stephens played seven games at the top level in 2022, before being involved in a three-team deal that saw Ollie Henry join the Cats. He would spend two years on Hawthorn's list, before being delisted at the end of 2024. 

De Koning has been a revelation for the Cats in recent years, bursting onto the scene in 2022 to help Geelong win the Premiership, quickly being regarded as one of the best young defenders in the competition. 

The young star won Geelong's best young player award in 2022, while also being selected in the 2023 22under22 team, now having played 85 AFL games through the end of the 2025 season.

00:37

De Koning's first ever AFL goal worth the wait

Cats young star Sam De Koning waits until the Grand Final to score his maiden major after some Patrick Dangerfield brilliance.

2020 - Max Holmes, Pick 20

Geelong made a surprising move to trade up the order in the 2020 draft, but the recruiting team certainly knew what they were doing when they secured pick 20 from Richmond. 

The Cats used the pick to select Max Holmes, a decision that continues to look better and better with every passing year. 

Holmes made an impression right away and played 12 games in his debut season, but it is the past three years where he has stamped his authority, developing into one of the competition's best and most damaging players. 

Winning back-to-back Carji Greeves Medals in 2024 and 2025, Holmes has also been selected in the All-Australian squad in two consecutive seasons, setting up a bright future at Geelong considering he is still only 23 years old.

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Holmes, sweet Holmes: Running Cat’s GOTY contender

Max Holmes charges forward off the back of Tyson Stengle’s slick no-look handball, and after three bounces, finishes with a stunning Goal of the Year contender

2022 - Jhye Clark, Pick 8

A local prospect with an abundance of talent, Jhye Clark became a Geelong Cat with the club's first pick in 2022. 

Growing up just down the highway and playing his junior football with Queenscliff, Clark made the transition to the Hoops and made his debut in 2023, playing one game before an injury cut his season short. 

Clark has featured in 25 AFL games across the past two years, most notably having a strong impact in Geelong's Preliminary Final victory this year over Hawthorn.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 03: Connor O'Sullivan (left) and Jhye Clark of the Cats warm up during the 2025 AFL Round 08 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 3, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

2023 - Connor O'Sullivan, Pick 11

Another incredible young talent with a bright future ahead, Connor O'Sullivan cemented his position in Geelong's back six this year with a superb breakout campaign.

Playing 25 of a possible 26 games in the 2025 season, the young defender earned a Rising Star nomination and finished fifth in the award, creating plenty of highlights with his natural leap and athleticism. 

O'Sullivan signed a contract extension during the year which will keep him at the club until at least the end of 2028, something for Cats fans to get excited about heading into the future.