PATRICK Dangerfield has identified Nakia Cockatoo and Jack Steven as potential difference-makers for the Cats' 2020 campaign.

Cockatoo is looking to make 2020 his year after last taking an AFL field in round three of 2018, while Steven is also on the comeback trail after battles with mental health issues.

Dangerfield says Cockatoo could make all the difference after getting his problem hamstrings right.

“He is going to be one of the biggest differences that we have this year,” Dangerfield told SEN Breakfast.

“He’s been perennially injured for the last few years but he’s an athlete that there’s very few like in the competition.

“He’ll play that sort of half forward role and roll through the midfield… he’ll give midfielders that play the majority of the time through the midfield a bit of a chop-out at times and he’s going to be a really big change for us.”

Dangerfield says the Cat’s athletic gifts will pose problems to teams around the league.

“He’s such a powerful player and line-breaker that he’ll cause the opposition some headaches.

“The way that Nakia plays he’s almost untackleable. For someone that’s 6’2” he’s about 94 kilograms, he’s incredibly well built.”

It’s the power and the speed that he can play with. We’ve got a few on our list that can do it, Esava Ratugolea is one that I look at immediately – the power off the mark and the ability to break tackles.

“To get him fit throughout a whole season will be really important for us.”

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The way that Nakia plays he’s almost untackleable.

Steven could provide just as much to the Cats as Cockatoo, with the four-time Saints Best and Fairest winner looking to recapture his best form in Geelong.

“You can see that in the way that he moves, he’s a very good player,” Dangerfield says.

“He had a hiccup a couple of weeks back, but he’s just about back in full pre-season training so it’s been great to have him.

“Obviously with the loss of Tim (Kelly), he’s going to be an important player for us, and we think he’s that line breaker and goal kicker that we have seen him do throughout the majority his career.

Dangerfield is confident the explosive former Saint can recapture his best form down the highway.

“He’s from the region and the most important thing we can offer as a club is to get him right and back to enjoying footy and obviously it certainly helps geographically where we’re set up.

“We just want him to be happy and when he’s happy he’ll play some great footy and he’s a really important player with the young developing list that we’ve got.

“It’s important that we get him up and rolling early because we’ve got a tough fixture early.”