Geelong Cats are pleased to announce seven Cats have put pen to paper on contract extensions, with Amy McDonald, Georgie Rankin, Chantel Emonson, Kate Kenny, Kate Surman, Alexis Gregor and Emma Kilpatrick recommitting to the Club.
Rankin, Kenny, Gregor, McDonald and Kilpatrick have all signed two-year contract extensions that will see them remain at the Club until at least the end of 2027, while Surman and Emonson have signed on for the 2026 season.
McDonald, a three-time Club Best and Fairest winner, had another impressive season in 2025, averaging 19.8 disposals, 10.3 contested possessions, 5.1 tackles, 15.7 pressure acts and 4.2 clearances a game. The 27-year-old was also elevated to co-vice-captaincy alongside Nina Morrison this year, with the pair alternating the acting captaincy across a handful of games.
Rankin, an inaugural AFLW Cat, enjoyed a career-best season in 2025, averaging 12.3 disposals, 2.8 tackles, 2.2 marks and 10.6 pressure acts a game, with her tenacity in a contest and rebounding ability stepping up a level again this year.
Kenny continued to grow her AFLW experience in her second season in Australia, making a move to play predominantly on the wing to make use of her running capacity, averaging 9.8 disposals, 2.5 tackles and 1.9 marks per game. She still made an impact up forward, contributing four goals across the course of the season.
Kilpatrick made an instant impact in her first season in the AFLW after signing on in May as a replacement player. The now 19-year-old made her debut in Round 1 and played all but one game, missing Round 7 through concussion. Starting at half-back before moving to the wing, Kilpatrick set the tone for her teammates with her tenacity to chase the ball and impact a contest.
Gregor was another talented young player that immediately displayed her potential, after being selected by Geelong with their top pick in the 2024 AFLW Draft. Earning her debut in the Round 4 clash with Essendon, Gregor went on to feature in all of the Cats’ final nine games for the season, averaging 3.9 intercept possessions and 1.1 intercept marks per game.
Surman, who celebrated her 25th Club game in Round 3, added another string to her bow in 2025, embracing more time spent through the midfield in addition to her role as a half-forward. She averaged 11.1 disposals, 3.5 tackles and 2.3 score involvements a game.
Geelong Cats Head of AFLW Dominique Condo said the Club was delighted to secure the signatures of the players.
“This season was a great one for Amy, Georgie, Emma, Alexis, Kate Surman and Kate Kenny, and it’s good to see they will continue to run out in the Hoops going forward,” Condo said.
“Amy’s leadership continues to grow, as we saw with her taking on the role of co-vice-captain and stepping up on occasion as acting captain.
“Georgie also stepped up again with her leadership and the way she went about her football, and it was great to see that effort rewarded with strong performances on the field.
“Kate Surman and Kate Kenny both adopted new roles at stages this season, and both were important in our forward half and getting the ball into attack.
“And we were also thrilled to see how well Emma and Alexis adjusted to AFLW level, but it was no surprise to see all their hard work on the track translate well to games.
“We’re looking forward to what 2026 brings for this group, and for our program as a whole.”
The Cats will welcome back Emonson in 2026, after the defender spent this season on the inactive list following the birth of her daughter, Luna.
“It will be fantastic to add Chantel back into the mix next season. She brings such a wealth of experience and excellent leadership, as well as outstanding skills and composure on field,” Condo said.
