The Geelong Cats returned to the final day of September for a third time in six seasons last year but will rue the Grand Final as a missed opportunity, considering how convincingly the Cats defeated Brisbane in the Qualifying Final just three weeks prior.
They were led by Coleman medallist Jeremy Cameron, whose 88 goals were the most in a single season since 2008, as well as superstar recruit Bailey Smith, who claimed co-AFLCA Champion Player of the Year honours.
Those two are only the tip of the iceberg, however, as the Cats' extraordinary depth looks to pay dividends for another successful season in 2026 for one of the modern era's most dominant clubs.
The Cats' list will remain largely the same in the new year, with James Worpel's recruitment down the highway the only notable addition from the 2025 trade and free agency period. However, several young talents are looking to push through into the senior side, which could see a shake-up from the 23 that took to the hallowed turf in the 2025 decider.
With all of that in mind, let's take a look at what Geelong's best 23 might look like...
Best 23
FB: Connor O'Sullivan, Sam De Koning, Jack Henry
HB: Tom Stewart, Lawson Humphries, Zach Guthrie
C: Gryan Miers, Max Holmes, Ollie Dempsey
HF: Brad Close, Shaun Mannagh, Tyson Stengle
FF: Jeremy Cameron, Shannon Neale, Patrick Dangerfield
FO: Tom Atkins, Bailey Smith, Mark Blicavs
I/C: James Worpel, Jack Bowes, Rhys Stanley, Tanner Bruhn, Jack Martin
Stiff to miss: Oisin Mullin, Oliver Henry, Mark O'Connor, Jhye Clark, Jed Bews, Jake Kolodjashnij, Mitch Knevitt, Toby Conway
