1. The draftees
There were great signs from all of Geelong's newest players during the NAB Challenge. Dean Gore was impressive against Gold Coast in Townsville, while Cory Gregson turned some heads with his hustling and bustling efforts against the Suns and Adelaide. But Nakia Cockatoo, the No.10 pick in last year's national draft, set tongues wagging to the greatest extent by kicking two brilliant goals in the win over the Crows at Simonds Stadium on March 12. Cockatoo looks a good chance to line up in the Cats' blockbuster home and away season opener against Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday.
2. The new-look forward line
The partnership between Tom Hawkins and gun recruit Mitch Clark started slowly, with Clark looking rusty early in his first match in the hoops against Gold Coast. But since Clark bobbed up with two goals in the final quarter against the Suns, he and Hawkins have been on fire. They kicked 15 goals between them in the victories over the Crows and the Blues. Clark booted nine of those goals, while Hawkins chipped in with six.
Watch Clark's huge quarter against Adelaide
3. The stingy backline
Geelong conceded 83 points per game, but with experienced campaigners like Tom Lonergan and Harry Taylor in tip-top shape, the Cats conceded 80 points per game during the NAB Challenge. The form of Jed Bews in the back pocket was one of the many positives to come out of the back half during the pre-season matches. Bews is right in the mix to line up against the Hawks.
4. Jimmy Bartel hogging the ball
Okay, so we've already written plenty about Jimmy during the pre-season, but the old fella just keeps delivering. He picked up 26 touches in the narrow loss to Gold Coast, backed that up with another 26 in the win over Adelaide, then produced an even more eye-catching performance against Carlton. Bartel had a sub's vest on during the first half, but picked up an extraordinary 22 disposals after being subbed into the game at the start of the third quarter. Get on him for a second Brownlow!
5. The Cats finishing fifth on the NAB Challenge ladder
The was no official ladder produced after the pre-season matches, so we quickly knocked one together and found that Geelong's 2-1 win-loss record placed it fifth, behind the Brisbane Lions, Greater Western Sydney, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle. We're now hoping the Cats can finish even higher than that after the home and away season.
Watch highlights of the Cats' win over Carlton
6. The number of kilometres the boys have put into their legs
After fade-outs in games became a concern last year, the Cats' new fitness staff built the pre-season training program around increasing the amount of running done by the players. Right now, the change seems to be working a treat, with the boys looking trim and feeling confident that they will be able to compete with the fittest opposition teams. The proof, of course, will be in their performances in home and away matches, starting with the much-anticipated clash with the Hawks.
Get an Inside Look at training
7. Injured players working extra-hard behind the scenes
Young gun Jackson Thurlow is among the many players who have been working tirelessly to overcome injury problems. Thurlow ended up in hospital during December after suffering a lacerated kidney in a training accident. But he recently returned to contact work and is set to return to action via the VFL during April. Nathan Vardy is among the other players on the comeback trail. Vardy, who had a knee reconstruction last year, is expected to return to full training in the next couple of weeks.
Watch the first edition of nib Medical Room
8. Players signing new contracts
New boys Nakia Cockatoo and Cory Gregson kicked off what should be a big few weeks of re-signings for the Cats when they extended their contracts with the club until the end of the 2017 season. Geelong's General Manager of Football, Steve Hocking, is confident that the next player to sign on the dotted line will be superstar forward Tom Hawkins, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Cockatoo and Gregson extend contracts
9. Heaps of members signing up
The number of Cats members is closing in on 39,000, with the club aiming for a final tally of around 48,000. If you haven't already signed up and you're wondering why you should, here's some quality advice from senior coach Chris Scott. “If I was a Geelong supporter who wasn’t a member I’d be buying a membership so I could come and watch Nakia Cockatoo play,” he said after the NAB Challenge win over the Blues.
10. The stack of new things on geelongcats.com.au
We have a huge amount of new and exclusive content coming your way in 2015. The Friday Forecast and Mighty Monday columns have already been up and about, while Cameron Mooney has been chipping in with some insightful player interviews. A number of other video and audio shows, including a weekly podcast, will kick off for the start of the home and away season. We will also be putting more time into producing articles that delve into the long and proud history of our great club, like this intriguing tale about a case of mistaken identities.
Here's the CatsTV weekly line-up:
* VFL highlights (Monday)
* The Analyser, featuring Cats assistant coaches (Tuesday)
* Tweet The Coach (Tuesday or Wednesday)
* Chris Scott's press conference (Tuesday or Wednesday)
* nib Medical Room (Tuesday or Wednesday)
* Podcast with Adam McNicol, Scott Gullan, Chris Appleby and special guests (Wednesday)
* Harry Taylor's Top 7 (Wednesday)
* Thirsty Camel Throw-Back Thursdays with Cameron Mooney (Thursday)
* Down at Kardinia Park with Tom Hawkins, Mitch Duncan and Steven Motlop (Thursday)
