Ollie Dempsey put in a standout performance in his return to the VFL Cats last Sunday, leading Geelong to an important win over Port Melbourne and ensuring he remains on the mind of the match committee as the club gears up for the second half of the AFL season.
Dempsey was rewarded for a strong opening month to the season with a recall to the Geelong AFL team, spending rounds eight to ten at the top level.
After starting the round ten clash with Fremantle as the tactical sub, Dempsey starred in his VFL return, adding a classy goal and nine score involvements to his 27-disposals.
Cameron Ling and Meg McDonald discussed Dempsey’s performance last Sunday on this week’s edition of Geelong Cats podcast, ‘To the Final Bell.’
"Going back to the VFL, embracing and realising the fact that you are perhaps a cut above and playing as such, it looks like he did that,” Ling said.
"That's not an elitist attitude or anything like that, thinking you're better than it.
"But it's okay to think, I'm not here to play at this level, I'm here to play at the top level and I can see that I can really dominate at this level. I want to then go back and play AFL.
"I think that's a really important mindset step in a young player's career.”
Starting the year as a deep forward, the VFL has given Dempsey the chance to work further up the ground and spend more time around stoppages, a role he has thrived in so far.
In his last four games with Geelong’s VFL team, Dempsey has averaged nearly 25-disposals and six marks per game while also hitting the scoreboard three times.
Dempsey was rewarded for his strong form with a two-year contract extension earlier this month, tying him to the Cats until at least the end of 2025.
Ling said that Dempsey’s attitude is a highlight of his character, helping him grow as a footballer.
"I ran into him at the game, he is such a terrific young man. He said g'day to my kids, did all that and then I just asked, oh how are you going?," he said.
"He was pumped about playing a full game. He said I've had a few weeks as the sub, it's been great and I've loved just being in that AFL team and environment.
"But he was pumped to play a full game, really just rip into it. Then hopefully he launches into another shot at the AFL, where he gets a great opportunity again.
"That's fantastic, he's putting his name up there.”
After being drafted at the end of 2021, Dempsey has now played five games at AFL level across his opening two seasons with the club, and will look to build on this throughout 2023.
