Four Geelong VFL stars have been rewarded for their outstanding seasons in 2026, with Nathan Kreuger, Jesse Mellor, Mitch Knevitt and George Stevens all selected in the initial squad for the Smithy's VFL Team of the Year. 

Recognising the best players across the course of a season, the Smithy's VFL Team of the Year selects the top performers and most talented players from the 2026 campaign, with the initial squad then whittled to a final team of 24 players. 

The final team of 24 players will be named at the 2026 VFL and VFLW Awards on Monday, September 14. 

The event will be streamed live and free on AFL.com.au and AFL Live Official App from 7:00pm. 

Nathan Kreuger has had a brilliant season in defence for the Cats, in his second year back with Geelong's VFL program. 

One of the competition's best interceptors and top players in one-on-one contests, Kreuger is averaging 13.2 disposals and 6.7 marks per game this year, often getting the big tasks against the VFL's elite forwards. 

Jesse Mellor's first season on Geelong's AFL-list has been a raging success, with the young star leading the Cats' VFL goal-kicking leaderboard and sitting sixth on the overall VFL leaderboard, booting 42 goals from 18 games to this point of the year. 

With a clean pair of hands and brilliant goal sense, Mellor has only been held goalless on one occasion this year but has also taken his game to a new level recently, kicking 26 goals from just his last eight appearances. 

George Stevens is vying for his second straight selection in the VFL Team of the Year, following another brilliant and consistent campaign which sees him sit fourth in the league for total disposals. 

The tough on-baller is averaging over 30 disposals, eight clearances and five tackles per game while also kicking 12 goals, with Stevens adding two more AFL matches to his tally across 2026. 

Mitch Knevitt rounds out the quartet of Cats selected in the squad, with the impressive midfielder enjoying a strong season that includes an average of 26.1 disposals, 5.1 clearances and 4.3 tackles per game. 

He has been terrific across the entire season but might have saved his best performance for the biggest moment, with Knevitt collecting 30 disposals and two goals in Geelong's hard-fought Qualifying Final victory over Tasmania. 

The four Geelong stars all helped to lead the Cats to a minor premiership, finishing well clear on top of the ladder in a remarkable campaign that included a 12-game winning streak. 

That form continued into the post-season as the Cats staved off a strong challenge in their opening Finals match, defeating Tasmania a fortnight ago to progress to a home Preliminary Final. 

Geelong's VFL team will return to GMHBA Stadium this Sunday to take on Port Melbourne, as they look to secure their spot in the 2026 VFL Grand Final. 

Follow the link below to see Geelong's Finals Hub and find out more information ahead of Sunday's game.