Geelong has named eight new faces for its first clash of 2022 as it prepares to take on North Melbourne Tasmania Kangaroos at Arden Street on Saturday evening.

Experienced AFLW duo Chloe Scheer (formerly Adelaide) and Chantel Emonson (Melbourne) will make their club debuts, while six of their teammates will run out for the first time in an AFLW match.

Cats' top 2021 draft pick Georgie Prespakis has been named in centre, while fellow draftees Zali Friswell and Annabel Johnson have been named on the interchange.

Claudia Gunjaca and Liv Fuller - who, like Johnson, played for the Cats' VFLW side last year - have been named at centre half-forward and in the ruck respectively, while Irish recruit Rachel Kearns has been named on a forward flank.

In further exciting news for Cats fans, new vice-captain Nina Morrison has been named in the centre line for her first match for premiership points since 2020, while Kate Darby has also been named to make her return after rejoining the primary list as a replacement for Renee Garing, who is expecting her first child in mid-2022.

Georgie Rankin is also set to embrace a new role, named in the backline for the season-opener. Rankin and Emonson will join regular Cats defenders Meghan McDonald, Maddy McMahon and Maddy Keryk in the starting back five.

The forward line has undergone a significant change, with new Cats Kearns, Gunjaca and Scheer joining Phoebe McWilliams and Julia Crocket-Grills.

Sophie Van De Heuvel (centre line), Amy McDonald and Becky Webster (followers) will be joined in a new starting midfield/on-ball division by Fuller, Morrison and Prespakis.

With new and returning players, and some changes to roles, it will be a new-look Cats outfit that takes on the Roos on Saturday.

First bounce is at 5.10pm. You can catch all the action on Foxtel, the AFL Live App or via the AFL Women's app or website, and follow @catswomens on Instagram and Twitter for live updates during the game.

Round 1 AFLW Team

Debuts: Georgie Prespakis, Rachel Kearns, Claudia Gunjaca, Liv Fuller, Annabel Johnson, Zali Friswell
Club debuts: Chantel Emonson, Chloe Scheer