In my 23 years of fandom for the Cats, there has been nothing short of amazing talent across the board. Since 2003, Geelong have been arguably the most dominant club, recording the most wins by an AFL club since then. In that time, they have also made 14 preliminary finals, resulting in four premierships, most recently in 2022.
With this profound dominance of the 21st century, there is bound to be some all-time greats that have run out in the hoops. This is why my job of putting together a top 10 of the best players I've seen has become really difficult for me.
Apologise to some fan favourites and Geelong heroes that unfortunately didn't make the cut, such as Mitch Duncan, James Kelly and Paul Chapman.
The ranking is based on a combination of reasons such as skill level, individual and team accomplishments, key moments, longevity, my personal viewing experience, and what they meant to the club during their time there.
Everyone is going to have different opinions on their lists, so this list is more like a celebration for all the Cats' greats over the years.
6Jimmy Bartel
Bartel was one of the best midfielders/forwards during his time on the field. Widely renowned for his skills and toughness during the Cats' golden era.
Across his 305 games for the club, he was a Brownlow Medal winner in 2007, a three-time premiership player and a two-time All-Australian.
He will be remembered for his outstanding composure and bravery in the biggest games of his career, having multiple big-time moments in crucial games, reflected by the 2011 Norm Smith medal in the grand final win over Collingwood.
