Geelong has always passed off as being one step ahead of the competition.
Whether it be recruiting star players, luring the game's best coaches, developing talented players or unveiling unheralded footballers, the Cats seemingly have it all.
A fascinating take on their development approach underpins the club's consistent contending for premierships, albeit headed by the likes of generational players Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron, Gary Ablett Jr. and Matthew Scarlett in this century alone.
As a result, the club has missed six finals series in 25 completed seasons, with 2025's September action expected to involve the Victorian club.
But Geelong has always managed to pull a cat out of a hat (excuse the pun) when loading up on no-namers from different codes, countries and states, placing a heavy reliance on its development program.
Former three-time Brisbane premiership player and teammate of Chris Scott, Nigel Lappin has led the club's growth strategy since 2024, but has been immersed in coaching and guiding Cats players toward performing at AFL level for over a decade.
After a successful playing career, Lappin joined Geelong at the end of 2008, and has been working at Kardinia Park for over 16 years in multiple roles (longest-serving member of their coaching staff), which yielded life membership for his tremendous influence.
Geelong's "patient" approach has been heralded as the monarch among the competition, allowing players to develop "sustainable habits" that will last an entire career.
"Obviously 'Scotty' sets a great environment for the footy club," Lappin said on the club's To The Final Bell podcast.
"I know it is the way that he thinks, it is about long-term success over the short-term gains. For us, we get helped out a little bit because we have got a really strong senior list; it is a really difficult team to break into.
"That is what we preach, we try and teach them the fundamentals of the game. Clearly, the three phases of the game are critical to our game style, which is contest, defence and attack in that order.
"It takes a while sometimes, the best players that are in the Coates League come into the AFL and think that being the best player means going out and getting 30 disposals, it is clearly not the way.
"Particularly when they are going to come into the team, most likely and play a role."
The examples are endless, with Scott and the development group holding back the likes of Sam De Koning, Connor O'Sullivan, Max Holmes, Shannon Neale and Toby Conway.
Patrick Retschko, drafted with Pick 23 in last year's Rookie Draft, was the latest to get a glimpse into the mindset of Geelong and how they view development.
"I will give you an example, Patrick Retschko was asking us about role compliance as opposed to going and finding the footy," Lappin explained.
"He is a really smart young player, so we are just working through some of those challenges at the moment.
"I was talking to him in the cafe, Max Holmes overheard, and he came over and told him a story.
"In his first year at the footy club, he had 19 touches, did everything that the coaches wanted him to do, but didn't think he necessarily played that well. Charlie Constable had 42 touches, but Max was the one that got brought in the next week because he did what the coaches were looking for."
Lawson Humphries, who was plucked from Western Australia in the 2023 draft, is another who has benefited from the Cats' method.
"Nigel Lappin (Geelong development coach) is really good... there's so many good development stories (at the club)," Humphries said following the club's 2024 Qualifying Final win over Port Adelaide.
"He brings a lot of positivity and confidence, and gave me some advice on little things to fix up and keep me on it.
"I knew a lot about him as a footballer. But as a person and as a coach, he's been so good.
"You're talking about being away from home - having a positive figure like that, a senior figure, around the club, it makes you feel a lot more welcome.
"Nigel Lappin was a huge player in improving my game throughout the year."
Every AFL club has their own practices, techniques and systems to continually develop and grow its players into consistent performers in the competition.
But Geelong's approach, reflected by their perpetual success, reigns as the league leaders, and is a key reason why their rivals envy what they produce each season.
