Geelong has confirmed that an exciting young ruckman will be the first debutant of the 2026 season, with Mitch Edwards set to pull on the blue and white Hoops against Fremantle on Saturday.

Standing at 206cm tall, Edwards is into his third year with the Cats and has impressed both at VFL level and throughout AFL pre-season games, standing out with his athleticism and skill while also able to have a significant impact around stoppages. 

The debutant headlines three inclusions for the Cats on Saturday afternoon, but Geelong will also be bolstered by the return of superstar duo Patrick Dangerfield and Jeremy Cameron. 

Both Dangerfield and Cameron have overcome injuries that kept them out of last week's loss to the Gold Coast Suns, with both players set to make their first appearance in the 2026 AFL season. 

James Worpel will miss this week after sustaining an injury as announced earlier in the week, while Mitch Knevitt and Ollie Henry also make way for the trio of inclusions. 

Geelong return to GMHBA Stadium for the first time in 2026 this weekend as they prepare for another blockbuster clash, set to take on Fremantle on Saturday afternoon. 

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster for the Round 1 match, while there are plenty of Membership options available for the 2026 season and with 10 games at GMHBA Stadium ahead this year, there has never been a better time to sign up. 

A reminder that Cats members are also encouraged to download or update the official Geelong Cats App prior to arriving on Saturday, your new home for tickets and membership barcodes heading into another exciting campaign. 

For those who can not make it to GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, the match will be broadcast on Fox Footy and streamed through Kayo from 4.00pm AEDT, ahead of the opening bounce at 4.15pm.