Geelong's remarkable 2026 season has certainly been one to remember so far, securing top spot on the ladder and the minor premiership well before the end of the home-and-away season, ultimately finishing 10 points clear of any other team. 

After making a dominant start to the year, it was a streak of 12 consecutive victories from Round 6 onwards that set the Cats apart, well and truly establishing themselves as a premiership threat. 

Throughout the season, Mark Corrigan and the coaching staff have found a tremendous blend of talent which has included experienced AFL players, emerging AFL-listed youngsters and VFL-listed players, showing just how much talent there is in the Geelong region. 

The Cats will enjoy a week off in the VFL Wildcard Round before returning next weekend for a home Qualifying Final. 

But before attention turns to their Finals campaign, take a look through some of the standout moments and players from Geelong's VFL home-and-away season. 

State of Play

Finishing well clear atop the VFL ladder, the Cats secured the minor premiership with three rounds to go in the regular season, ensuring that they would host a Qualifying Final. 

After the final round of the home-and-away season played out, Tasmania were the team to secure the final spot in the top four, meaning it will be a battle between the Cats and Devils for a spot in a Preliminary Final. 

It is an odd quirk with the VFL fixture, but the two teams did not meet during the regular season which means Geelong has not faced Tasmania since their reintroduction into the competition, giving no history or record to go off. 

Details for the clash will be confirmed shortly, but it is certainly set to be a big build-up as the Cats look to capitalise on their dominant regular season. 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 16: Joe Pike and Kobe George of the Cats celebrate after winning the 2026 VFL Round 21 match between North Melbourne and Geelong Cats at Arden Street Oval on August 16th, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

Best Win

Round 3 - Werribee 6.10 (46) def. by Geelong 12.18 (90)

After a strong start to the year, Geelong headed up the highway to take on the 2024 VFL premiers in Round 3, a team they had only defeated once in their last three attempts. 

It proved to be the clearest sign of how far the Cats had come, holding Werribee scoreless in the first quarter and registering the opening 14 scoring shots of the match, building a 49-point buffer before their opponents scored for the first time. 

Geelong were absolutely clinical early and it set them up to clinch a dominant 44-point victory, an important four points early in the season and doing it all despite some inaccuracy in front of the big sticks. 

Jamieson Ballantyne led the way up forward (four goals), Marcus Herbert (34 disposals, two goals) pieced together an incredible display, while Jhye Clark (19 disposals, seven intercepts) and James Worpel (23 disposals, six clearances) were also important throughout the afternoon. 

Geelong's Leading Goalkickers

Position Player Goals Best Haul
1 Jesse Mellor 40 6 Goals - Round 16 v Richmond
2 Jamieson Ballantyne 34 4 Goals - Three Occasions
3 Jay Polkinghorne 20 5 Goals - Round 16 v Richmond
4 Dan Capiron 18 5 Goals - Two Occasions

Leading Ball Winners

Player Key Stats Games Played Interesting Stat
George Stevens 30.6 Disposals, 7.8 Clearances 16 Fourth in VFL for Total Disposals
Mitch Knevitt 25.8 Disposals, 5.2 Clearances 15 Second at Geelong for Inside 50s
Lenny Hofmann 20.7 Disposals, 6.2 Marks 18 Top 15 in VFL for Marks
Joe Pike 12.8 Disposals, 19.8 Hit-Outs 18 Seventh in VFL for Hit-Outs
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 16: Callum Coleman-Jones of the Kangaroos and Joe Pike of the Cats compete in a ruck contest during the 2026 VFL Round 21 match between North Melbourne and Geelong Cats at Arden Street Oval on August 16th, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

Surprise Packets

Cillian Burke

Geelong's latest Irish recruit has shown great signs of improvement throughout the campaign, adapting to the oval-shaped ball quickly and having a significant impact for the Cats. 

Burke has shown an ability to play a number of roles for the Cats, but seems to be most influential either off half back or through the middle of the ground, able to utilise his size and speed effectively. 

He collected 20 disposals or more on five different occasions this year, which included Geelong's last two games of the regular season against Collingwood and North Melbourne.

The Cats have had remarkable success with their Irish recruits in recent years, so watch for Burke to continue his development as he grows increasingly comfortable with Australian Rules Football. 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 16: Cillian Burke of the Cats kicks the ball during the 2026 VFL Round 21 match between North Melbourne and Geelong Cats at Arden Street Oval on August 16th, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Rob Lawson/AFL Photos)

Jack Costello 

Hailing from Lavington, Jack Costello has certainly impressed many during his first season with Geelong's VFL team. 

Entering the line-up in Round 3 against Werribee, Costello collected 22 disposals in his Cats debut and never looked back, going on to play all bar one match across the remainder of the season. 

His consistency was brilliant, collecting 15 disposals or more in 11 of his 15 games in the regular season, while also pushing forward to kick six goals. 

Production from Geelong's VFL-listed players like Costello has been a major factor in their success this year, and expect that to be no different when Finals rolls around next week.Â