Whilst the NAB Cup doesn’t provide a true indication of which direction the season will take, many onlookers couldn’t help but notice, including Hodge, that the Cat’s preseason performance didn’t cast a shadow of doubt but only highlighted the club’s tenacity and conviction.
''That's why they have had so much success. Every time they go out onto the field, they are ready to play for one another,'' Hodge said.
''We've had a lot of guys go and watch them and that's one thing that has stood out. They look eager. They look sharp, very clean with their ball movement. That is usually a sign that they are ready and hungry for the season to come around.''
The Cats continue to showcase the same control and poise that has carried them through to three premierships, since 2007. Geelong’s culture doesn’t accept anything but their utmost best and according to former Geelong player, Gary Ablett, losing is never a thought that sits well amongst the team.
''The thing about those guys is that they are very competitive people,'' the Gold Coast captain said.
''So even if they get up struggling for motivation some mornings, when they get out on the ground, they just don't want to lose. Or when they get out on the training track, they just can't let their standard slip.
“It's so ingrained now in how they go about it that it will never change.''
''You see a lot of blokes come into AFL football and they just don't have the competitive streak that those guys have.
''Some players are happy just to be out there, go through the motions some seasons, and then when their team maybe starts to go well and play finals, then they get really serious about it.”
“But there are not many players like that down at Geelong.”
Over recent years the Cats have seen a number of key players hand in their boots, however, the Cats legacy doesn’t seem to fade. If anything the club’s ingrained mentality and collaboration has built a confidence that is now inherent and success is never out of reach. This is what the players call the Geelong way.
“It doesn't matter what year it is, no matter what people outside say about how they are going to go that year, they always go about it the same way,’’ Ablett explained.
“But to have the success they've had over the past five years and then come out in the NAB Cup and show that hunger, it just shows how bad it still burns for them to win another premiership.''
