With another home-and-away season in the books, it is time to look back at some of Geelong's standout performers that helped them secure another Finals berth in 2026. 

Finishing the regular season on a six-game winning streak, the Cats were able to finish in fifth on the ladder and are now preparing for an Elimination Final next week. 

Before the September campaign kicks off, take a look through some of the key numbers and players from the season so far. 

Team Stats

Third Highest Points Per Game Average in the AFL

• Average of 102.4 points per game
• 14 scores of 100 points or more
• A season-high of 135 points, coming in Round 8 v North Melbourne

Cats Ranked Second in the AFL for Inside 50s

• Average of 59.3 per game

Ranked Third for Contested Possessions

• Average of 134.9 per game

Ranked Second for Total Clearances

• Ranked fourth for centre clearances and fifth for stoppage clearances
• Average of 37.8 clearances per game

Ranked First for Intercept Marks

• Average of 16.0 per game

Defence

In a year of transition for Geelong's defensive unit, the Cats spent the year establishing their new structure and the stats paint the picture, averaging 83.7 points conceded per game to opposition teams. 

The Cats ranked first in the AFL with the best win rate in defensive contests, only losing 18.5% of the time which is even better than teams like Fremantle (21.7%) and Adelaide (22.4%).

Geelong also led the league in intercept marks per game (16.0) and finished third for intercept possessions (69.4), ranking the Cats among the elite defences in the competition. 

The standout performer was Connor O'Sullivan, who finished fifth in the AFL for intercept possessions and seventh for intercept marks, capping off a stellar season with selection in the All Australian squad. 

Tom Stewart, Sam De Koning and Lawson Humphries all ranked highly in the defensive stats, helping contribute to a strong unit across the course of the season. 

Cats Defensive Stats

Transition & Midfield

Geelong had no trouble moving the ball this year, ranked second in the AFL for metres gained per game, fourth for transitions from defensive 50 to score, and fifth for chains to scores. 

Plenty of it started around stoppages, with the Cats sitting second in the competition for total clearances this year, ranking fourth for centre clearances and fifth for stoppage clearances. 

This was led by Bailey Smith who had another sensational year, ranking second in the AFL for total disposals and first for inside 50 entries, while also leading Geelong for score involvements, contested possessions and clearances. 

He was well supported by Max Holmes (29.2 disposals per game), Tanner Bruhn (22.0 disposals per game) and a host of other players who spent ample time in the midfield throughout the year. 

While he did not quite reach the record-breaking heights of 2025, Tom Atkins still led the way defensively and finished fifth in the AFL for tackles, laying a total of 139 tackles in the regular season. 

Inside Forward 50

For the first time since 2011, Geelong has finished the home-and-away season with a leading goal-kicker not named Jeremy Cameron or Tom Hawkins. 

Shannon Neale capped off a fantastic season, kicking 47 goals to finish on top of the Cats' leaderboard, while also finishing third at the club for score involvements and goal assists. 

Not far behind was Ollie Henry, who had a brilliant campaign and kicked 42 goals, while also adding 17 goal assists. 

Despite missing a number of games, Jeremy Cameron still managed 39 goals for the year, while Shaun Mannagh and Ollie Dempsey also eclipsed the 30-goal mark across the season. 

Remarkably, Geelong had nine different players record 100 score involvements or more, which included the likes of Tanner Bruhn and Max Holmes. 

Geelong's Scoring Stats