The 2020 season didn’t finish how we all hoped it would, but it was a defining year for the Cats as they survived and thrived in the most challenging of circumstances. Thanks to Deakin University, here is what we learnt across the 2020 season:

The most growth comes from within

The Cats have been relentless in their attempts to improve since their last premiership in 2011. Not content to follow a well-worn path of solely relying upon rebuilding the side via the draft, the Cats have employed a mixture of draft, free agency, trade and Category B recruitment to build the side that contended for the 2020 flag. The development of these draft and Category B recruits has been outstanding and has complemented the shrewdness and analytics gone in to identifying and attracting trades and free agents. But this year, it was the evolution of players who’ve been on the list for a significant period of time that provided the biggest boost.

Cam Guthrie became an All Australian and Carji winner, Tom Hawkins won his first Coleman, Sam Menegola produced an All Australian worthy year, Gryan Miers, Jack Henry, Jed Bews and Mark O’Connor finished Top 10 in the Carji and Lachie Henderson produced some of the most consistent and damaging form of his career. Whilst the Cats would still have great hope for what Jack Steven and Josh Jenkins can produce, they weren’t required this year to come in and improve the side in their first years.

Is the best yet to come?

The Cats were thrilled with two first round picks in the 2019 draft and subsequently drafted midfielder Cooper Stephens and key position player Sam De Koning. Stephens spent last season rehabbing a broken leg in his final year of the NAB League for the Geelong Falcons. For De Koning, a meteoric rise on the back of a growth spurt saw him produce a very impressive final season and into the Cats draft calculations. Traditionally, both would have spent this year criss-crossing Victoria to play at Frankston, Williamstown, Coburg and if they are really lucky, a curtain-raiser at GMHBA Stadium. Instead, they’ve criss-crossed Australia with their senior teammates and their match practice has been a combination of internal practice matches and hard-hitting scratch matches against the other team’s reserve players.

But critically, for both Stephens and De Koning, they’ve been able to spend four months with their senior teammates including Joel Selwood and Harry Taylor who’ve dedicated themselves to developing and improving their younger teammates. Stephen’s craft improved greatly throughout the matches against the other sides whilst De Koning was able to play across the whole ground, highlighted by his four-goal haul against the Richmond VFL side.

But it doesn’t just stop with the Cats first round selections. Brad Close was able to play an important role in the middle of the season for the Cats whilst Francis Evans and Cam Taheny both showed enough to say that they will taste AFL football very soon. Combined with the Cats upcoming 2020 draft, trade and free agency haul shows the Cats have a lot of optimism ahead. 

Geelong members know what it means to be Strong

The effort and tenacity shown on the field this year was a direct reflection of a side playing for their people. After the incredible support shown by Cats members, which included around 99% retained their 2020 membership despite Victorian members not being able to access games, the players had a mission to repay the faith.

As Chris Scott spoke emotionally about in his Carji Greeves Medal speech, this year has seen the club and it’s members and supporters come together despite the ability of so few to be near each other.

“It just goes to show to me that our footy club and our supporters are so much more.” Scott said.

“Membership gets you so much more than a seat and entry to a game,”

“It gives you access to something bigger than yourself,”

“It’s been a pleasure for me to serve our footy club and our supporters and the people who have stuck with us so well.”

Who hasn’t daydreamed about being back at GMHBA Stadium for AFLW and AFL action in 2021?! 

Lucky doesn’t sum it up

They say that identical twins can experience pain that only one is receiving no matter if they aren’t in the same city or even country. This phenomenon was experienced by 100’s of 1000’s of Cats fans on Grand Final night as Gary Ablett Jnr went down with a serious and excruciating shoulder injury. Immediately, in loungerooms across the country hands clutched their own shoulders as Gaz winced in pain on the ground. Before long Ablett had returned from the rooms and wanted to be out on the ground. Our hearts filled with admiration and our breath was collectively held every time he went near the ball. But it was at the moment, despite literally only having the use of one arm, he flicked a handball that nearly any other player with two arms wouldn’t be able to complete that we could all realise how lucky we were.

In his final game, despite an injury that would have kept a mere mortal in hospital, Ablett produced a piece of magic that would sit well in his highlight reel that now only lives in the shadow of his father. As Cats fans for 12 seasons we have sat and marvelled at the Little Master in the hoops. And as a competition we’ve had the pleasure in 19 seasons including his journey to the Suns. Each season produced this magic. Ablett had the rare ability to do something in a game that would spark electricity in the crowd. A collective gasp, tens of thousands of heads shaking in unison at his moment that made other players look like novices. The finish wasn’t what would have happened in a Hollywood film but that genre doesn’t do Ablett’s career justice. His is an epic series. Not one two-hour sitting could sum it up. But weren’t we lucky to watch it.

When Harry met the Cats

Not many clubs can not only recover but also prosper at the loss of an All Australian centre half back. But that’s what the Cats unbelievably did when Matthew Egan suffered the unfair end to his career in round 22, 2007. After winning the premiership, the Cats drafted mature age recruit Harry Taylor from East Fremantle. Somehow, the Cats turned a potentially devastating loss into another future All Australian centre half back.

But it was two years after the Cats drafted him that Taylor would have his career defining match. His performance on Nick Riewoldt in the 2009 Grand Final was exceptional and, if we are being honest, undersold. Taylor nullified the Saints captain and future Hall of Famer completely throughout the day and his exclamation point was a towering mark from a kick-in in the dying moments of the game. His quirkiness endeared him to Cats fans and befuddled opposition players and supporters, but Taylor’s professionalism and commitment to bettering his club and teammates was unmatched. The mark of an exceptional career is when you not only leave legacy on the field but also re-shape and improve the club off it. Harry has done that.