GEELONG youngster Josh Caddy is putting plenty of pressure on himself as he eyes off the upcoming season.

The 21-year-old, who joined the Cats from Gold Coast in the 2012 player exchange period, notched 18 games last year, including the heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Hawthorn.

Caddy was used mostly across half-forward, but he has set his sights on becoming a regular fixture in the midfield this season.

"I want to step up a lot this year and become more of a Geelong player, rather than being a bloke who's in the 22 but isn't really a big player in the side," he said after the club's open training session at Simonds Stadium on Monday morning.

"I want to become a bit more of a presence out there. I've got a lot to improve on this year … hopefully I can.

"I'm pretty excited to start playing footy again soon. I think after Christmas you're itching to get into it.

"This year I'd love to step up into the midfield and play a few more minutes in there. That would be great if that could happen."

While Caddy is fit and firing after getting through the tough sessions in last week's extreme heat, fellow youngster Shane Kersten is on crutches after suffering a sprained foot at training on Saturday.

The 20-year-old forward copped the injury when he accidentally stepped on a teammate's foot.

Kersten's foot has been scanned and football manager Neil Balme is adamant that the injury isn't serious.

"He should be back in training next week," Balme told K-Rock radio. "It looked a lot worse than what it was."

Kersten has had an interrupted pre-season. He started on a modified program after needing knee surgery following the Cats' 2013 campaign.

However the club is hopeful that he will be fit for its NAB Challenge opener against Collingwood at Simonds Stadium on Wednesday, February 12.