MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 07: Esava Ratugolea of the Cats and Marlion Pickett of the Tigers in action during the 2021 AFL Round 08 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Geelong Cats at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 07, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Contracted key-position Cat Esava Ratugolea is "one to watch" this off-season in regards to his playing future, with the fringe forward-turned-defender potentially looking to 'test the waters' for 2023 and beyond.

The 24-year-old has gained interest from GWS in the past, having his name thrown into discussions around a trade package to land Jeremy Cameron at the end of 2020, however the Cats and Giants eventually agreed to a deal that saw a lucrative draft hand head to the New South Wales club for Cameron, with Ratugolea remaining at Kardinia Park.

He would recommit to the Cats midway through the following season on a deal until the end of next year, but has continued to be placed behind Cameron, and others, in Geelong's key-forward pecking order.

Having played just one game after Round 3 this year, Ratugolea has since looked to switch to defence, plying his trade down back in Geelong's VFL side across the club's 2022 campaign.

Ratugolea was awarded with a recall into Chris Scott's side for Round 23, playing in the back third before being omitted for Geelong's qualifying final against Collingwood.

The Cobram product remains in the periphery of selection calculations at the cattery, and according to SEN's Sam Edmund, Ratugolea could be considering his options this off-season after being "frozen out".

“Esava Ratugloea, a year to go on that contract, a one to watch in terms of testing the waters," Edmund said on Crunch Time. 

"He’s a chance of making it as a defender elsewhere I reckon, Paddy McCartin style if you like, a switch back to an athletic interceptor, he’s showed what he might be able to do at that part of the ground.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 10: Esava Ratugolea of the Cats and Todd Goldstein of the Kangaroos compete in a ruck contest during the 2019 AFL round 21 match between the Geelong Cats and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at GMHBA Stadium on August 10, 2019 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

GWS came calling when Jeremy Cameron was traded and the Cats famously said get stuffed, I wonder now whether enough water has gone under the bridge where Esava will be looking just to play football, to be honest, he’s been frozen out at Geelong with the depth they’ve got there.”

Having also been called upon for ruck duties throughout his career, Ratugolea has also found himself placed toward the back of the queue, with Rhys Stanley, Jonathon Ceglar and rookie Toby Conway also competing for a starting spot in the top flight.

Ratugolea has played 59 games for the Hoops, joining the club through the 2016 National Draft and making his AFL debut against Melbourne two years later.

While he's become more accustomed to life in the VFL, Ratugolea recently revealed the love he has for the club, not seeing himself depart Geelong in the near future.

“I love this place, at the moment I don’t see myself going anywhere,” he recently told News Corp.

“Half the time I don’t even think I am at work, that’s how good it is. A lot of the fellas will say the same, I don’t see myself going anywhere any time soon.”

With Geelong's VFL campaign over, Ratugolea will be looking to keep himself in the frame for a potential reprieve at training in the coming weeks as the Cats begin their preparations for a home preliminary final against either Melbourne or Brisbane.