Geelong Cats News

Geelong has acknowledged it is extremely unlikely that Max Rooke will play again this season as he continues to battle with a chronic knee complaint.

"We're still working on the short-term, which is to try to at least get him to be able to train enough to at least be considered for playing," Cats' football manager Neil Balme said.

"But it's looking less likely as time goes on."

Geelong's James Podsiadly faces a three-match ban for a head-high bump on Carlton's Bryce Gibbs and may miss the start of the Cats' finals campaign.

Nathan Ablett will return to Skilled Stadium as a member of the Gold Coast Suns' VFL team and Cats VFL coach Dale Amos says he will receive a warm welcome from the locals.

"The Ablett name is synonymous with Geelong and I think the (fans) are generally just happy to see him back playing again," Amos said.

"I'd be surprised if there was anything other than people pleased to see him."

Geelong believe that Gary Ablett will make a decision on his future before the finals and are optimistic that he will stay with the Cats.

"Acting on fresh information, we think an announcement is coming before the finals," a senior Geelong source said.

"The indications are Gary wants to clear the air before the finals."

Mark Thompson says it would be a mistake if Geelong lost Brenton Sanderson because it couldn't guarantee him its senior coaching position.

"If we couldn't keep, because we couldn't guarantee him a position, then I think that would be a mistake," Thompson said.

"He's a Geelong person. I think he's done a marvellous job. If he wants to coach senior footy, and I know he does, then he's more than ready to get a job."

Max Rooke is set for a surprise return to the AFL only weeks after visiting a knee specialist in the US.

"He's our spiritual leader in so many ways," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"Max has never, ever shirked a contest and he probably goes harder than anyone else. In many ways it's why Bartel, Selwood, Kelly and Joel Corey, Chapman, go as hard as they do because Max sets the bar so high in that regard.

"He deserves us to give him every possible chance after what he's done for the club."

Nathan Ablett's hopes of securing an AFL contract with Gold Coast in 2011 will be determined over the next five weeks but coach Guy McKenna says the forward is starting to show promising signs.

"All of a sudden over the last two weeks he's put his hand up and said, 'Right, I'm running out of opportunities here. I need to do something about this'," McKenna said.

"Wednesday week ago he trained the house down. That was the Nathan Ablett I saw play in the 2007 premiership, and he's performed well at Broadbeach since then."

Geelong big man Brad Ottens says a lack of confidence as a key forward means his career will likely be played out in the ruck.

"The ruck is my spot with a little time up forward," Ottens said.

"That is my go. I didn't have the confidence as a key forward. I played a bit up there with Richmond and had some success, but I never got consistent results up there."

Geelong captain Cameron Ling's comments about the umpires after the St Kilda game has landed him a $3,000 fine from the AFL.

"It's a hard, physical game and there is going to be some hard, physical contact in a game. We're not playing netball and sometimes some people throughout the game forget that," Ling said in a post-match interview.

"You've got to let things go a little bit because there's 44 guys out there trying as hard as they possibly can to win a game of football."

After various indiscretions against Geelong's Steve Johnson, St Kilda's Steven Baker faces a record 12-week ban handed down by the match review panel which can be reduced to nine games on an early guilty plea.

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna declares that he is fairly confident of getting Geelong star Gary Ablett to the Gold Coast next year.

"Fairly confident. I'm a fairly optimistic person," McKenna said about the prospects of signing Ablett.

"When he sat down with Gary we put all our eggs in the basket, we explained the club, where we're heading, why we need him, all those sorts of reasons."

Geelong's Tom Hawkins will risk aggravating a foot injury by playing on this season.

"Tom's coming on really well and we expect him to play next week or the week after," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"We didn't really know which way to go at the start but they have decided through all the specialists and Tom making the decision through his friends and family that he is going to play in one or two weeks."

Nathan Ablett struggles to have an impact in the VFL with Gold Coast and is no certainty to resurrect his AFL career with the new franchise.

"He today was fighting for a contract no different than a (19-year-old) Mitch Harley," Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said.

"He's got the rest of the year to prove to us that he should be on our list."

Former Geelong captain Tom Harley believes Gary Ablett is more likely than not to head to Gold Coast in 2011.

"I'm probably with the common school of thought that the longer it drags on, the more likely it is he's going to go," Harley said on Melbourne radio station SEN.

"I guess when you come out and make a statement that it'll be finalised by mid-year, and mid-year starts to fast approach and then you have to call it off to the end of the year it leaves it a bit messy."

A second knee operation has Geelong midfielder Joel Corey finally on the comeback trail after being out since round four.

"It eventuated from that first injury that wasn't fixed properly the first time around," Corey said.

"There was a bit of time, about a month, when I was in limbo. Then the surgeon decided to have another look. It was a relief that they found something wrong in the operation."

Gary Ablett's manager Liam Pickering advised Geelong on Monday that his client was unlikely to make a decision on his future before the end of the season.

"We just cannot continue to talk about it like this every half-day which we do," Pickering said.

"We have lots of contracts to finish of which Gary, understandably, is the most important but the point I'm making is that let's put the contract to one side, let's worry more about our performance on field."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says surprise star James Podsiadly has exceeded his expectations.

"I didn't think he would be as good [as he's been]," he said.

"When we got him I thought 'Oh yeah, well he'll play some footy' ... but he's just in the team. He's part of the 22 and if he keeps it up, he's not going out. He's in our best 22, so it's an amazing story."

Geelong president Frank Costa is hopeful he can convince Mark Thompson to continue coaching beyond his current contract.

"We've still got him so while we've got him we're going to try and hang onto him," Costa said.

"What I can say about Mark Thompson is that he's really enjoying what he's doing at the moment. I'm hoping his enjoyment of coaching the club will extend beyond next year."

Geelong's Paul Chapman says new physiotherapist Mike Snelling has cured his groin and hamstring problems.

"He has been fantastic for me. He really knows his stuff, especially regarding hamstrings. It was great to have a different way of looking at things," Chapman said of Snelling.

"There is a lot of sports science in it. He put on a strong program for me over pre-season [and] he is forever on to me... to do those extra things. So I have done a lot more work on (the hamstrings) this year, hopefully this year can be the one when I can get over it."

Geelong's coach says analysis of his comments on the future of Gary Ablett are unfair and a distraction for the club.

"I just don't want to say too much because I feel like I get bashed over the head everytime I open my mouth. I think it's a little bit unfair," Thompson said.

"Everybody's got a comment about Gary Ablett but to be honest our players just want to concentrate on this year when Gary's here. We're going to try and get the best out of him and let's hope it doesn't distract Gary too much."

Geelong's Cameron Mooney says he is glad to have Mathew Stokes back in the forward line after the Cats took care of ladder-leaders Collingwood with ease.

"It's great to have him (Stokes) back. I'm very proud of the way he's handled himself and very, very proud that he's back in the team. I couldn't be happier for him," Mooney said.

"To have a guy like that down forward has certainly helped everyone that plays down there and has really provided a bit of a spark for the team."

Star midfielder Joel Selwood says he was always going to recommit to Geelong despite a huge offer from Gold Coast.

"It was an easy decision. Everything in Geelong has fallen into place for me and I have really enjoyed my time," Selwood said.

"It would be silly to walk away from that. They have given so much to me and I want to give a little bit back by working hard and working through the next era of Geelong football."

Gold Coast is offering Gary Ablett more than $2 million for his first season with the new club, and is confident it will get its man.

"I am absolutely confident we will get the eight to 10 players we want," Gold Coast chief executive Travis Auld said.

"We won't be able to hand-pick the best player from every team, because clubs didn't come down in the last shower and are signing their best players, but we are confident we will get who we want. We won't hypothesise about what happens if we don't, because it won't come to pass."

Geelong midfielder Joel Corey, who has been out since round 4, faces another month on the sidelines after exploratory surgery today to determine the extent of his knee injury.

Geelong has managed to keep one of its star midfielders out of Gold Coast's clutches by re-signing Joel Selwood.

"I can confirm that we have agreed to terms with Joel and his management, and that he will be staying at Geelong," Geelong CEO Brian Cook said in a statement.

"We still have to finalise the paperwork but all parties have agreed to the deal."

As an AFL return looms, Geelong's Mathew Stokes says he's sorry for disgracing his family and his club after pleading guilty to drug charges.

"The last three months have been tough, and the toughest thing about it is that I am responsible for what has happened. I have no one else to blame but myself," he said.

"I'm ashamed of the disgrace I have caused to the club, the players and most of all my family. I have hurt so many people with my actions and let people down that believe in me.

"I am truly sorry for my actions and will be doing everything to make it up to the people I hurt and those closest to me."

Geelong forward Max Rooke will undergo investigative knee surgery after struggling to shake the tendonitis that has troubled him this season.

"Max has come up a bit sore and he's actually having some investigative surgery on his knee to see how we go," football operations manager Neil Balme told said.

"We're a little unsure how long that will take; we don't think it's too long term, but it's certainly a bit of an issue for him."

Rookie-list player James Podsiadly is a genuine contender for this year's Coleman Medal after kicking 17 goals so far up to round 7, according to teammate Cameron Mooney.

"I'd love to see him right up there, but it's a tough call in your first year of AFL footy to be talking Coleman Medals," Mooney said.

Mooney says Podsiadly not being selected in the side for the first two rounds has actually benefited him.

"I'm glad that Pods didn't come in, in the first practice game, and kick five, because everyone would have just carried on and he might have got a little bit ahead of himself," Mooney said.

"Because he found it so hard the first few weeks, I think that really grounded him and really made him think that it's not as easy as it looks or as he thought. And now he's getting the chocolates."

Gary Ablett has fronted Geelong's leadership group over his attendance at an after-Logies party on Monday night.

"I just had a chat to him with the leadership group and he probably made a wrong decision by going out to that function," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"We don't mind people going out for dinner, and he was drinking water - he guaranteed that he wasn't drinking alcohol - so that's not a bad thing."

"He guaranteed that he was only there for an hour and wasn't drinking any alcohol so it's not a big problem for us."

A stress reaction in Brad Ottens' foot means the Cats will be without their number one ruckman for six to eight weeks.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook says he is confident small forward Matthew Stokes is not a drug user despite his drug charge.

"I probably trust and have confidence in my people sometimes too much," Cook told SEN radio.

"But, I think the reality is that he wasn't (using drugs). I say that because I do have some privileged and confidential information about drug-testing."

Mathew Stokes avoids conviction after pleading guilty to one count of drug possession and accepting a fine of $3000.

"We are comfortable with today's outcome and with the fact that Mathew has accepted responsibility for his actions," Geelong chief executive Brian Cook said.

"We are happy that the trafficking charge has been dropped and now the AFL will determine if this case falls under the League's illicit drugs code.

"Mathew has already shown over the past three months that he is a better person, and we look forward to seeing him continue to grow as a person."

Stokes said that he was embarrassed over his involvement with drugs.

"I am very sorry and embarrassed by my actions. It is an embarrassment to the club and everyone that has stuck by me, especially my teammates," he said.

"I am just looking forward to playing footy again.''

Mature-age rookie James Podsiadly had no explanation for the roar he received from the Cat faithful after kicking a bag of five goals against the Power at Skilled Stadium.

"I can't explain it," Podsiadly said of his rapid rise to near-cult status.

"That was pretty surreal to be honest. I was wondering if Gary Ablett was running behind me when I was running off."

Wayward Geelong forward Mathew Stokes is rewarded for the way he's handled his punishment by having his return to football brought forward.

Stokes will play for the Cats' VFL side against Box Hill this Sunday in the curtain raiser to the Geelong-Port Adelaide contest at Skilled Stadium.

"We're supporting him 100 per cent and I'm sure he's going to play really well," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"He's a different guy. He's really determined, he's got a steely determination about what he does and I think he'll be an unbelievable VFL player and he'll force his way back into the (AFL) team Round 8, no question at all."

Geelong will unveil mature-age forward James Podsiadly in Sunday's clash with Fremantle. Podsiadly was named at full-forward in place of the suspended Cameron Mooney.

"It was something that I never thought would happen (before this year)," Podsiadly said of his selection.

"I feel like I prepared well over the summer and now the important thing is to take the opportunity and do whatever the team needs me to do. I can't wait to get over there and play."

Brad Ottens has withdrawn from the Geelong side to take on Fremantle this Sunday, prompting a huge change in the betting odds.

Young Geelong forward Steven Motlop will be sidelined for three months with a shoulder injury after being accidentally kneed in the back by teammate Tom Hawkins during the Cats' clash with Hawthorn.

Motlop, who had both shoulders rebuilt after being drafted in 2008, has avoided having to have a shoulder reconstruction and underwent a "bone moving" procedure this week instead.

Geelong key defender Matthew Scarlett accepts a one-game ban for kneeing Hawthorn's Michael Osborne.

Hawthorn's gamble to appeal the suspension of Liam Shiels, charged with striking Cameron Ling, fails, with the midfielder banned for two games.

Geelong's Cameron Mooney will also miss a match after being charged with rough conduct during the same match.

Matthew Scarlett is in doubt to face Fremantle after hurting his back late in the Cats' win against Hawthorn.

"When his back goes, it really goes - I think it's pretty much seized at the moment," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said after the match.

"He landed pretty heavily on the hard part of the ground, so we'll have to wait and see how he pulls up. We play in six days, so it'll be a challenge."

Collingwood's Ben Johnson could be back within two weeks after scans have revealed he has escaped ligament damage in his knee, suffering only a displaced kneecap.

Geelong veteran Darren Milburn suffered a hamstring injury in the club's round-one victory over Essendon and will miss at least two weeks.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says a poster in the Gold Coast Bulletin depicting Gary Ablett Jr as a Gold Coast player is unethical and places pressure on the Geelong star.

"It's pretty cheeky really. It just puts more pressure on Gary. It's a little bit outside the rules and the ethical boundaries of the industry we're in", Thompson said.

"I don't think Gary wants to be posted up as a Gold Coast player just yet."

The Gold Coast Bulletin publishes a poster of Cats star Gary Ablett Jr in a Gold Coast jumper being to promote the new club.

"If you want to see the AFL's greatest player in a Gold Coast Football Club jersey in 2011 then sign up now," the poster said.

Geelong have asked the AFL to investigate the unauthorized use of Gary Ablett in the poster.

"The advertisement uses the intellectual property of Gary Ablett without his permission," the Cats said in a statement.

"We look forward to the AFL, the AFLPA and IMG, Gary's management company, taking the appropriate action following this clear contravention of the rules."

Geelong defender Harry Taylor says he would be willing to sacrifice pay to keep Gary Ablett from Gold Coast's clutches.

"Gary has the ability to just turn it on. From a personal point of view I'd love to play with him rather than against him, so I certainly would be willing [to take a pay cut], but I can't speak for the whole group," Taylor said.

"Gary is very level-headed. He keeps a lot of his personal life private, which is a great way to be. The players don't seem to worry about it at all. It's in the papers so often, but we tend to just worry about what we need to do and that's to win games of football."

Cats defender Darren Milburn says Tom Lonergan is the man to replace former skipper Tom Harley in the back six after a solid performance against the Bombers in round 1.

"I thought Tom Lonergan played a very good game. He came in for Harles and played his role very well. I thought his opponents didn't get sighted. He was a very good player for us tonight," Milburn said after the game.

"He's had a very good pre-season and every task that has been set he has done it really well. I'd say he'd be in line to take his role."

Mark Thompson believes that Gary Ablett has decided whether to stay at Geelong or to accept a lucrative offer from Gold Coast.

"Gary probably already knows what he's going to do," Thompson said.

"So we've just got to wait for him to tell us which way he is going to go."

James Podsiadly has been elevated from Geelong's rookie list in place of injured youngster Mitch Brown who has been placed on the long-term injury list.

"James is in the mix for selection and so it was an easy decision to upgrade him," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"It doesn't mean he will play this week, but he played all the way through the practice-match schedule and if the match committee want him he is available."

Gary Ablett Jr's manager Liam Pickring says Mark Thompson's public plea for Ablett to stay at Geelong was out of line.

"I didn't think it read all that well. It was a bit unnecessary but, again, he was probably just having a bit of a joke," Pickering said on SEN show Off The Bench.

"It's a bit uncomfortable if you are the centre of the discussion point in front of 700 people and you are put on the spot by the coach."

Geelong captain Cameron Ling says speculation about whether Gary Ablett will join Gold Coast next season is a non-issue within the club.

"Within the media and within the footy public there's obviously a lot of interest in it, but quite honestly within the footy club, there's nothing; it's non-existent," Ling said.

"I know that we are and Gary is completely focused on 2010 and more importantly on round one."

Geelong utility Travis Varcoe breaks a thumb while playing in the Cats' final practice match and will be out for six to eight weeks.

"Travis can't even recall it happening in the game. It was a bit sore on Monday so he got sent for a scan that showed the fracture and he went in for surgery last night," Cats football manager Neil Balme said.

"He will be in plaster for a month and then it will be 2-4 weeks after that until he can play."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson half-jokingly tells Gary Ablett Jr to stay with the Cats if he wants team success at the club's season launch.

"Seven hundred people in this room heard Gary Ablett say the only reason he plays is to play in a premiership," Thompson said.

"So Gary, you'd be more of a chance than at the other mob that are offering all that money."

Lawyers for footballer Mathew Stokes argue that the case against him for cocaine trafficking was weak and tenuous, a court heard today.

"It is difficult to imagine a more tenuous or weak case in relation to a charge of trafficking," defence lawyer Mark Dean said.

"The prosecution can take the reasonable course, the fair course and the appropriate course, of not proceeding with the trafficking charge.''

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says he is still in regular contact with the suspended Matthew Stokes as the small forward prepares to have his day in court on drug charges.

"He's a bit flat about the whole thing and in a lot of pain and doing it pretty tough," Thompson said.

"He is hurting and it's a pretty tough penalty to pay, but that's the ultimate choice we've made as a club - I'm sure he'll get through it.

"We're supporting him, we've handed out the punishment, but that doesn't mean we've forgotten about him. We're in contact with him."

Geelong's Max Rooke is struggling to be fit in time for the Cats' 2010 season opener against Essendon due to knee tendinitis.

"I'm not sure about Rookey, you'd probably say he won't play Round 1 but he won't be far off," coach Mark Thompson said.

The Geelong Advertiser reports that Matthew Stokes has joined Mount Rothwell Conservation and Research Centre, near the You Yangs with a role in zookeeping and wildlife protection.

"He does all the things (our staff) have to do, there's not one specific task, his work is spread over the whole property and his experience is very useful," Mount Rothwell owner Nigel Sharp said.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says that the club must adapt to the reality that stars Gary Ablett Jr and Joel Selwood will be tempted to leave for more lucrative deals at expansion clubs or via free agency.

"We've been a club that has traditionally recruited and developed our own players," Thompson said.

"But in saying that, if you get some players walking out on you after eight years of service, we might be forced to change the way we do business and look at another way of doing it, and that's by getting some ready-made players from other clubs."

Geelong star Joel Selwood's contract negotiations have been delayed as a result of teammate Gary Ablett Jr still being undecided about his future at the club due to links with the Gold Coast.

Selwood's manager Tom Petroro said negotiations with the club were ongoing.

"They are a fantastic footy club and there is a direct correlation with their success and the way they run their footy club," Petroro said.

Geelong president Frank Costa says the club will seek the aid of local businesses in a bid to match any offer that Gary Ablett may receive from the Gold Coast.

"It will be more than one business because it's got to be justified," Costa said.

"So you're not going to get any ridiculous sum from any firm that can't prove that the value is there for what they're paying."

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna says he is still hoping to convince Gary Ablett to leave Geelong at the end of the year.

"We've got fingers, legs and everything else crossed that he does," McKenna said.

"All I can say is we've got rules in place, we've also got a salary cap in place and I would be derelict in my duties to not go after the best players available."

Geelong midfielder Joel Corey has undergone knee surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his knee and will miss the start of the season.

"Joel suffered a similar injury in 2005 and after the same procedure he returned after three weeks and we think this will be the same outcome," Geelong's general manager of football operations Neil Balme said.

"You never want an injury, but in these cases it could always be worse. We are confident that Joel will be available early in the season.

Matthew Stokes trains with Bell Park for his first involvement in team footy since he was suspended by Geelong following drug charges.

James Podsiadly's former Werribee coach Simon Atkins believes that Podsiadly has what it takes to make it in the AFL.

"With his maturity, he is so well prepared. He's strong and people don't realise how quick he is on the lead for someone who is 194cm," Atkins said.

"He can play the bear in the square or he can get it on the lead.

"With his power and speed on the lead, if he's got blokes giving him the footy lace-out, he'll come at it pretty hard.

"The other thing is his left foot kick. When he's on song he doesn't miss."

Mathew Stokes will accept an invitation to train with GFL club Bell Park during his club-imposed ban from Geelong.

"The offer came from Bell Park and we think it's in the best interests of Mathew and Bell Park for it to happen," Cats chief executive Brian Cook said.

"This is a time when he's not able to train with players from the Geelong Football Club, but he can train elsewhere. It was pretty much a decision on his behalf."

Brad Ottens said the boating accident that left him with more stitches than games over the past 12 months could have been worse.

"All three of us in the boat ended up in the river but the boat kept going (in circles) and drove over me," Ottens said.

"It was coming straight at me, so it could have been a lot worse."

Geelong has handed down a raft of sanctions to Mathew Stokes following his arrest on drugs charges.

The sanctions included suspension until round eight of season 2010, a fine of $5000, having to find full-time employment and to establish a relationship with a drug-related community program.

Collingwood defender Harry O'Brien has appealed for everyone to treat troubled Mathew Stokes as a human being after the Geelong forward was charged with trafficking cocaine.

"Through his own choices he has placed himself in this situation. A situation which occurs frequently everyday in our country and around the world," O'Brien wrote on the AFL Players Association website.

"Mathew Stokes inherited the tag of being a role model when he entered the AFL. However he is still a human being."

"I would much rather focus on how to be proactive in the prevention of drug abuse and trafficking that affects the masses, than being reactive to one isolated incident."

Mathew Stokes explains in detail his latest transgression involving alleged drug-trafficking to teammates at a secret meeting believed to have been held at a teammate's home in Geelong.

Mathew Stokes has been suspended by Geelong after the 2007 premiership player was charged with drug offences following drug raids on four properties in the Geelong area.

Stokes appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court this afternoon.

"Given the gravity of the charges the club has decided that Mathew will be stood down from all club activity as we attempt to gather all the facts of this matter," Geelong CEO Brian Cook said.

"This is not a rush to judgment but a reflection on the seriousness of the situation. It is important for Mathew that he deals with legal issues at hand as his first priority.

New Cat Marcus Drum says moving to Geelong has benefited him from a physical standpoint.

"Every club is sort of similar in the way they run programs but Geelong is at the top of the level with the way they do it," Drum said.

"They've got some really good fitness staff combined with some really great coaches in different areas who have experienced success at different clubs."

Luckless Geelong key position player Mitch Brown has been placed onto Geelong's long term injury list after being expected to be sidelined for about three months.

"We can upgrade a rookie at any time, but we will not do that until we need to," football operations manager Neil Balme said.

"There is no rush to do that, but by placing Mitch on the long term injury list it gives us that flexibility. As soon as he is ready to go, Mitch will be back on the list."

Geelong forward Mitch Brown will be out for about 12 weeks after having surgery on his injured leg .

"He had some pain in the area recently and we sent him for more tests to ascertain what the issue was. After consulting with the surgeon it was agreed that this is the best course of action," Geelong's general manager of football Neil Balme said.

Gary Ablett Jr's former manager, Michael Baker, believes he will resist overtures from the Gold Coast to sign with Geelong.

"Geelong is like a family to him," Baker said.

"In that sense, realistically, Geelong has a lot more to offer him. He's happy there and he likes the set-up. That's important to him. And I know he's a pretty dedicated, very loyal person, young Gary. I think he will stay."

Joel Selwood says he and Geelong teammate Gary Ablett are in the midst of contract talks with the Cats and are hoping to end the speculation they could join the competition's new franchises in the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

"This is a great club with a great history and I'm like Gary, going through contract talks at the moment. Hopefully we'll get them done soon enough so we can both get our names out of the paper and not be linked to all these clubs," he said.

New Geelong captain Cameron Ling says he has confidence in the club's leadership group to drive the Cats towards continued success.

"I don't think we need to change too much, especially myself, I don't need to change too much about the way I go about things as a leader," Ling said.

"These guys do a great job, and I think as a whole group we're just going to continually push the team and the club in the direction we want to get to so we can have more success."

Cameron Ling will lead Geelong's premiership defence as captain this season, with an expanded leadership group behind him.

"It's got a bit of romanticism to it - Cameron supported the Cats when he was a kid, played for St Josephs, played for the Falcons, played for our VFL team, played for our AFL team, became an All-Australian, has finished in the top-four seven times in our best-and-fairest and is a dual premiership player both in the pre-season comp and the home-and-away season," Cats chief executive Brian Cook said.

"It speaks volumes for him - not only does he meet his commitments on the field and off the field, but he displays great values."

Cameron Ling will head Geelong's leadership group that includes Gary Ablett, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey, Corey Enright, Joel Selwood, James Kelly and Harry Taylor. Kelly and Taylor are new additions to the group for 2010.

Geelong key-position prospect Mitch Brown remains upbeat despite re-injuring the leg he broke last year.

"I hurt it the first day back from the Christmas break - I was just kicking around my body and something just didn't feel right," Brown said.

"I had an x-ray on Monday and there's a little crack, but hopefully it's only a couple of weeks and I'll be back out there."

Nathan Ablett is on track to play in the Gold Coast's first match, a Round 1 clash against Port Melbourne in the VFL on April 10.

"We had a chat about that early days. Nathan convinced me enough. I haven't had any reason to change my thoughts that he is passionate about playing, so assuming he ticks all the boxes, we'll pick him for Round 1," Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said.

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens is confident he can play in the NAB Cup despite a freak speedboat accident over Christmas.

"I will be ready to go in the NAB Cup but I'm not sure what the coach's plans are with that, so I may not play anyway. But by the start of the season this will have no impact at all," Ottens said.

Brad Ottens is recovering from an accident and has resumed running after suffering cuts to his right hand and arm when he made contact with the propeller of a boat he was skiing behind while on holiday in Echuca before Christmas.

"It was a bit scary, but it won't be a problem for him," Geelong general manager of football operations Neil Balme said.

"We just have to look after his hand, but I don't think that's a long-term problem though."

Kevin Sheedy says Tom Harley could graduate from project consultant to assistant coach at GWS if he has the talent and desire.

"I'm going to be really interested to find out what his knowledge is from being a wonderful captain of Geelong ... and what he can add to the values of this new club being formed," Sheedy said.

"I've got my strengths and my weaknesses, and so will Tom have. I don't know what area Tom's going to be great in, but obviously he's going to have three or four great areas."

Footy star Gary Ablett and long-time girlfriend Lauren Phillips have been celebrating the end of the decade in style with friends and family in New York.

Former Cat Ben Graham has challenged the weakling image of NFL punters after making a game-changing ferocious tackle for his Cardinals.

"I had to make the tackle,'' Graham said.

"I saw (Amendola) land on his back with his eyes shut and I thought I had knocked him out.''

Graham's tackle was named by the Arizona Republic newspaper as the "key play'' of the game.

Geelong's Brad Ottens has escaped serious injuries while water skiing but will miss four to six weeks of training.

"The injury to his elbow and leg required stitches but will heal relatively quickly," general manager of football operations Neil Balme said in a statement.

"Brad is lucky that the cuts to his hand did not result in more serious injuries that would have sidelined him for a significantly longer period.

"He suffered two cut extensor tendons in his right hand, and he has undergone surgery to repair the tendons."

Collingwood recruit Josh Thomas took a huge risk when he turned down an offer to play for Gold Coast, but he is happy with the result after being drafted by the Magpies.

"I just wanted to get into the AFL environment as soon as I could," he said.

"There were a few clubs that had shown interest. I just had to take the gamble I was going to get picked up.

"It was a risk but I was happy to take it. I'm glad I did now because it's paid off."

James Podsiadly left Werribee for Geelong last year to pursue a career as part of the club's fitness and conditioning team.

However, after winning the team's VFL best and fairest, Podsiadly was picked up as a mature-aged recruit in the 2009 rookie draft.

"They put some stuff on the table and asked whether I wanted to go down this track (of becoming a mature-aged rookie) or if I wanted to continue down the track with my fitness career at the club. I just jumped at (a chance to play AFL)," he said.

Gary Ablett's manager Liam Pickering has tried to play down the secret meeting between the pair and Gold Coast Football Club officials.

"We had a chat with them. There was nothing sinister about it. The Cats knew that at some stage we'd have a chat with them (Gold Coast) so I've spoken with Geelong and they're fine," Pickering said.

Geelong forward Steve Johnson continues his rehab on his troublesome hip and won't be ready to train with teammates until mid-January.

"With the way things finished up last year his hip was pretty ordinary at the end of the year," Geelong assistant coach Nigel Lappin said.

"He had some surgery just before the end of the season so he has been just starting to get back into his rehab. Steve should be training in mid-January."

Media reports indicate that Gary Ablett and his manager have held talks with Gold Coast club officials.

The meeting was held in chief executive Travis Auld's apartment in Broadbeach and the party was spotted by Port Adelaide players who were staying in the same apartment complex.

Ben Graham has encouraged Anthony Rocca to chase his dream being an NFL punter, but says the task of breaking into the league will not be easy.

"Anthony has Sav in his corner, so that's a head start no one else can get," Graham said.

"You may only get one shot at it, and then it's the sacrifice and discipline and hurdles you face along the way. That might prevent a lot of people from pushing it further.

"I will never say to anyone don't give it a go, but then again I saw you don't want to completely turn your life upside-down for a dream that might not be there."

Former Geelong captain Ben Graham's NFL team, the Cardinals, lost at the Superbowl last year. This year his team is again headed towards the playoffs.

"Last year the experience through the playoffs and Superbowl was phenomenal. This year we are 7-4 and have a two-game lead in our division, so if someone had said to me at the start of the year this is where I would be, I would take it," Graham said.

New Geelong ruckman Nathan Vardy was given some great advice after getting drafted last week from his cousin and ex-Richmond Tiger Royce Vardy.

"He (Royce) rang me up after my name got called out and just said 'don't stuff it (AFL career) up like I did'," Vardy said yesterday.

"'Make the most of your opportunity because it only comes around for a few people'."

Huge Crows supporter Daniel Menzel is heading east after being drafted by Geelong, and says there's no better place to develop his footy career.

"At first there was a lot of nerves, so it was a great relief to know that I had a club to go to," he said.

"And for it to be a club such as Geelong, I was extremely happy with how the cards fell in the end. Ecstatic would be a good word."

Delisted Cats winger Kane Tenace has been given permission to train with Melbourne.

Ken Hinkley reveals his motivation for leaving Geelong for the Gold Coast.

"For me the next challenge in coaching was understanding that I'm at a stage in my coaching career where I went for the Richmond job and just missed out on that," Hinkley said.

"I thought for me to develop more as a coach was to go back and have an opportunity to work with some young kids, and certainly the Gold Coast provides you with that."

Retired Geelong captain Tom Harley will join Channel Seven as a commentator.

"The opportunity came to join Seven and I couldn't get over there quick enough," Harley said.

Nathan Ablett has taken the first step to reigniting his AFL career, signing with the Gold Coast to play VFL football in 2010.

"It is exciting because it is going to be such a young group and hopefully from playing three years of AFL I can give a bit of experience to the boys of what to do and what not to do," Ablett said.

"My aim is to play AFL again so hopefully I can use this as a bit of a stepping stone and play some good footy as well as getting myself fit."

Geelong premiership player Nathan Ablett wants to resume his AFL career on the Gold Coast.

"He likes living on the Gold Coast, and in our club's unique position we can offer him a vehicle back into the system," Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna said.

Cat David Johnson announces his retirement.

"When I started out my goal was to just play one game," Johnson said.

"To have been able to play at Geelong for eight years, to play with my best mates and in a great team has exceeded what I could ever have hoped for.

"The coaches have been great, the club has been outstanding and I finish with no regrets."

Geelong's dual-flag winning skipper Tom Harley has retired, leaving behind one of the best captaincy records in AFL history.

"That's it. That's game, set and match for me at the Geelong footy club as a player and I couldn't leave more content with my career at the club, where the club is right now and where it's going in the future," Harley said.

"I probably went into this year coming off a limited pre-season and with my knee, knowing it was coming to an end. I spoke to my closest mates and players, and had a few guys at the wedding and pulled them aside and said that's it.".

"It has probably evolved over the past month - it hasn't been a decision I've taken lightly which is why it's taken a while to announce".

Player manager Ricky Nixon says at least three Victorian clubs are interested in drafting the recently delisted Kane Tenace.

"Kane is a quality player. It's disappointing to read journalists' views that players have certain flaws when they don't even watch every game," he said.

"Someone who's got the experience Kane's got and the fact he's already played well at senior level and played well this year in three or four games is definitely going to attract interest."

Although signed to a four-year deal that guarantees him at least $250,000 a season, Shane Mumford says security, not cash, was his primary consideration for joining the Swans.

"That was the biggest thing for me - the whole four-year deal. You know what you're doing for the next four years. The fact that I was going to be playing every week was my biggest thing. " he said.

"At Geelong, I would have still been 50-50 whether I was going to get a game and Sydney pretty much said to me that I'd be playing."

Experienced winger Kane Tenace is among five delistings announced by Geelong this afternoon.

Dan McKenna, Scott Simpson, Adam Donohue and Bryn Weadon were the other delistees.

David Wojcinski's future at Geelong remains uncertain as his management seeks a better deal from the Cats.

"Nothing's really changed. There's an offer on the table from Geelong. David's preference is to stay but it sort of depends on their salary cap issues," a spokeswoman for Wojcinski's manager, Paul Connors said.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says he will finish his coaching career when his contract runs out at Geelong in 2011.

"I reckon this is my last two years and I'm going to get out and do some other stuff," Thompson said.

"I want to leave the place in good shape and I want to be successful next year."

Shane Mumford will earn more money than half of Cats' premiership team after accepting an offer to join Sydney in a four-year deal worth up to $1.2 million.

The Swans will give pick No. 28 to Geelong in exchange for Mumford.

Geelong ruckman Shane Mumford is offered a lucrative deal with the Swans which he has chosen to accept.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson is unhappy with Mumford's decision to move to Sydney after having put several years into his development since he was recruited from Bunyip.

The Cats will now have to negotiate a deal that will send Mumford over to them.

The jumper worn by Joel Selwood in Geelong's 2009 Grand Final win has been discovered along with $30,000 worth of other sporting memorabilia.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dave McTaggart said a 43-year-old Bell Post Hill man is helping police with their enquiries.

"Other than an interest in their jumpers we don't believe he has any connection to the Geelong Football Club,'' Sen Sgt McTaggart said.

AFL premiers Geelong move to recruit Blake Caracella from Collingwood to join their coaching staff.

"We're thrilled to add Blake to our coaching staff," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"Blake has shown himself to be an innovative and progressive thinker and we feel he will work well with our group of players and coaches."

Gary Ablett says he is happy to share the Carji Greeves Medal for Geelong's best and fairest with teammate Corey Enright.

"I was hoping that it would be a draw at the end," he said.

"I didn't want to pip him by a few, and I was hoping he didn't pip me by a few, so it's great to have a draw.

"He's had a consistent season and a great year and he well deserves the medal."

Dual premiership players Gary Ablett and Corey Enright have tied for the 2009 Geelong best and fairest award.

The win is Enright's first while Ablett has now won two best and fairest awards in Geelong's two recent premiership years.

Jimmy Bartel's jumper worn during the 2009 AFL premiership win over St Kilda is missing and believed to have been stolen.

"Often players wear two in a game but that was the only jumper I wore for the day," Bartel said.

"I just want to let people know that if someone is out there trying to sell them my jumper, that it was stolen and they should report it to the club."

Geelong assistant coach Ken Hinkley is looking forward to the challenge of working with the Gold Coast's young list after accepting a position as assistant coach up north.

"In the current system a club gets about two to three young players a year to work with, so it's a coach's dream to be able to work with such a large group and hopefully help them develop into a great AFL team and club," Hinkley said.

"The Gold Coast Football Club is an opportunity which doesn't come along very often, and to help build a competitive team and a culture of success is something I can't wait to get involved in."

Geelong premiership captain Tom Harley says he still needs more time to decide whether to leave the AFL only a few days after winning the 2009 premiership with the Cats.

"I've said it all along, it's really just exhale for a couple of weeks and talk to the right people," Harley said.

"I haven't really spent any time with the coach since the game, so I'm looking forward to just sitting down and talking about all of that and making a decision."

Mark Thompson is prepared to offer dual premiership captain Tom Harley the two games he needs to reach 200 in 2010.

"I know he's got 199 games (actually 198)," Thompson said on Fox Sport's show On the Couch.

"If the AFL could allow us that one more player on the list maybe for two more weeks then we could get him to 200, which would be a significant achievement."

Geelong full-back Matthew Scarlett declares the 2009 premiership as "a lot better than 2007".

"This one, we had to work harder for it, so it's sweeter" Scarlett said prior to the beginning of Geelong's Mad Monday celebrations.

"We were the dominant team (in 2007) and we weren't challenged."

Harry Taylor is revealed to have played the final three quarters of the Grand Final, mostly on champion St Kilda forward Nick Riewoldt, with a broken hand.

He suffered the injury during the first quarter after his hand was punched from behind by an opponent in a marking contest.

Tom Harley says Geelong is ready for a new captain after leading the side to another grand final triumph in 2009 against the Saints but says he is still undecided about his future.

It is probably fair to say it will be the last time I will lead the side out," Harley said.

"We are probably ready for a new captain and, as far as actually playing, a decision hasn't been made.

"I think with a decision like that you have to really respect the process and speak to all the people involved."

Norm Smith medallist Paul Chapman, who defied medical logic by playing on in the 2009 grand final despite a hamstring strain, is declared a ''freak'' by Geelong's head fitness coach.

''It's amazing. He's not normal,'' Geelong's head fitness coach Paul Haines told The Sunday Age.

''A normal soft-tissue injury, like a normal hammy, nine players out of 10 would have come off and not come back on again.

''He's a freak. He's very strong. Mentally and physically he's a very, very strong athlete."

Geelong forward Paul Chapman has won the Norm Smith Medal for best-afield in the grand final despite playing with a strained hamstring for almost three quarters.

Chapman gathered 26 possessions and kicked three goals, including the game-breaker in the last quarter which gave the Cats the lead.

"It happened right on the quarter-time siren. I got a cork in it and felt it spasm up a little bit and then early in the second quarter I got a tackle and felt it go a little bit," Chapman said about his hamstring strain.

"But it was a grand final and you've got nothing to lose so we just strapped it up and went out there.

"I tried as best I could to play deep but sometimes got sucked up the ground."

After missing out on making the Geelong side to face Hawthorn in the 2008 grand final, David Wojcinski says its good to have another chance in 2009 as the Cats take on St Kilda in this year's grand final.

''Missing out last year wasn't great,'' Wojcinski said.

''You want to play in a grand final every year and I wanted to make sure I was playing better football this year.''

Geelong forward Steve Johnson says his hip is getting better every day and that he will be fit to contribute to his side in the 2009 Grand Final.

"I've been pulling up really well from each session I do - day by day it's just been improving, so it's been great that I've been able to recover and give myself the opportunity to play tomorrow," Johnson said.

David Wojcinski and his wife welcome a baby boy just two days from the 2009 grand final.

"I'm heading back to Geelong - my wife had a baby two days ago, so I'll have to head back there to hang out with them tonight, and I'll just keep it as normal as possible, as if it's a normal game," Wojcinski said at the start of the grand final parade.

"They're still in hospital so I'll get a good night's sleep."

Geelong forward Mathew Stokes sensed it would be tough to earn a recall after pulling out of the preliminary final with groin soreness but says missing grand final selection has still been hard to take.

"Someone had to miss out and the boys played well last week, so I didn't really expect to come back in," he said.

"You move on, that's life and there's nothing I can do about it now. I just have to support the boys.

"I've moved on from the fact I'm not playing and I've dealt with it and I'm quite happy with the decision because I knew the consequences of me not playing in the prelim final."

Mathew Stokes has been unsuccessful in earning a recall for this week's AFL Grand Final against St Kilda.

"We think he's done the really selfless thing for the team and if he is right to play then he probably deserves to get a game," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

Geelong's Gary Ablett is announced as the AFL Coaches Association's Player of the Year for a third straight year in front of more than 500 guests at Crown.

The title means Ablett has won the Brownlow Medal, coaches' award and AFL Players Association MVP Award in 2009.

Tom Harley says he has not made a decision on whether the 2009 grand final will be his last game.

''It could be, it could be. It's really of no concern either way as to how I approach this game - it's a grand final, and everyone plays a grand final like it's the last game of the year, because it is. But I'm not lying when I say a decision hasn't been made,'' Harley said.

Geelong champion Gary Ablett has capped three brilliant seasons by winning the 2009 Brownlow Medal.

"There's relief in a way. As I said before, I felt the media had built up the pressure and the favouritism over time, and it gets tough at times to shut it out," Ablett said after winning the medal.

"It's a bit surreal in a way. I'll get back to my room and I'll sit down with my family and friends and think about it a bit more then."

Former Geelong captain and now Saint Steven King relishing the chance to knock off his old team in the biggest game of the season, the 2009 Grand Final.

"I probably dreamed about it. Any player would love to get to have the opportunity to come up against their old side in a Grand Final," King said.

Mathew Stokes admits he faces a nerve-wracking few days before finding out whether he has earned a berth in Geelong's Grand Final side as he competes for a spot in the side after recovering from a groin strain.

"It's definitely all about the team," Stokes said.

"If I find out I don't play, I can live with that. I'll be there supporting the boys. Whatever the coaches decide, I'll stay by them."

Cats forward Tom Hawkins says his first taste of AFL finals has given him an even greater desire to win through to the grand final after Geelong beat the Bulldogs in their 2009 qualifying final.

"It was great being out there for my first final. It was a lot of fun and excitement and nerves," he said.

"It was good to get that one over and good to have a good win. Hopefully this weekend I can just play my role in the side, and that's all I can hope for."

Cat Steve Johnson moves freely during training to suggest he is ready to take his place in the side to face Collingwood in their preliminary final.

"Stevie was running around like a little kid, he was loving being out there and feeling good," teammate Cameron Ling said.

Geelong forward Tom Hawkins has taken out the AFL Army Award for 2009 after his brilliant smother and subsequent chase and tackle in round 22 against Fremantle.

"Honestly, I am surprised but still honoured to win this fantastic award. The act that I have been recognised for was one that all players would try to do for their team each week," Hawkins said.

Geelong's Steve Johnson says an operation by Hobart's Dr Michael Pritchard on his injured hip may have saved his season.

"When I went into surgery I was pretty much prepared for the worst news, that I would miss the rest of the year, that's how sore it was," he said.

"But the surgeon did a great job and pretty much as soon as I had it done it felt better and I was able to work pain-free."

Geelong midfielder Joel Selwood has been recognised as the AFL's most courageous player by his peers after winning the Robert Rose most courageous player award at the AFLPA's awards dinner.

Selwood - fifth in the MVP voting - polled 248 votes ahead of Sydney's Brett Kirk (132) and St Kilda's Lenny Hayes (91).

Gary Ablett is awarded the Leigh Matthews Trophy after being voted the most valuable player by the AFL Players' Association for the third straight year.

"It is very humbling to win this award and to receive it three years in a row is a tremendous honour," Ablett said.

"The respect that the players have for this award is enormous and as the only player-voted award, it is one of the highest honours you can receive in this game."

Paul Chapman's troublesome hamstring is injected with his own blood to speed his recovery.

Geelong's Brad Ottens stands as the man to lift the Cats at the business end of the 2009 season after timing his return from injury to the senior side in time for the finals.

''Those first two weeks, I just, I battled away a little bit. And then ... the game against Werribee, I felt just like I'd turned the corner and I was moving around a lot better and I was able to run and jump a little bit and that sort of gave me the confidence as much as anything. And that made me feel like I could get back and play in round 22 and then last week again gave me a bit more confidence again," Ottens said.

''So it's pretty positive I suppose.''