The Geelong Cats have been the kings of the trade period for some time now, seemingly in the conversation for every out-of-contract star. The club has secured the rights to several big fish up for grabs in the last decade, most notably Patrick Dangerfield, Jeremy Cameron and Bailey Smith.
While the list build at Geelong has been a strong one, there are still areas of concern that need to be addressed. The ruck situation at Kardinia Park has long been scrutinised, and it remains the weakest element of their roster.
With several key figures in the twilight years of their stellar careers in the likes of Mitch Duncan, Dangerfield and Mark Blicavs, the Cats' stocks across the ground will need some retooling. While the development of young stars such as Shannon Neale and Ollie Dempsey will help this cause, it's not a be-all-end-all solution.
So, here are five trade and free agency targets for Geelong to consider this year.
4Peter Ladhams
The Sydney key forward and part-time ruck has been in and out of the Swans side all season, playing just seven games so far in 2025, which presents him as a potential cheap ruck or key forward option for the Cats this off-season.
Standing at 204cm, Ladhams has served as a solid back-up for Sydney to Brodie Grundy and to Tom Hickey in 2022 and 2023, but he has not featured in more than 11 games in a single season for the club and last played in Round 12 this year.
At the Cats, he'd likely get some further opportunity to duel in the ruck, taking over the ageing Rhys Stanley, and has the potential to fly forward should Geelong's key forward stocks deplete.
The Cats are already on thin ice in this area, usually depending on a key defender or ruck option such as Mark Blicavs to swing forward should Jeremy Cameron or Shannon Neale suffer an injury.
Ladhams would provide extra depth and security in this area and has demonstrated capability to be an accurate kick, booting 13 goals in 17 games for the Power in 2021 and five goals through seven games this season.
