Geelong Cats News

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.''

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says forward Steve Johnson is only one week away from playing after undergoing surgery on his hip.

"He's already knocked on my door, asking if he can play, but we probably won't play him this week," Thompson said.

"He's a very good chance to play next week, which is remarkable I know, and you probably won't believe me, but that's the truth."

David Wojcinski plays one of his best games for the year, after tallying 23 disposals and a goal against Fremantle, to celebrate life membership with Geelong after 150 games for the club.

"My parents and few people around Heyfield are the ones I'd like to thank for their help. And of course heaps of blokes around the club here, they've been fantastic," Wojcinski said.

"I didn't think about 150 games, it wasn't really a goal, I just wanted to play as many as I could. I am just and honoured to have played 150 games for such a great club.

"To me it means a heap. A lot of blokes I have played with have played 150 and to see my name on the board is such an honour."

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens was rather nonchalant when discussing his AFL return since going down with a knee injury in round two.

"It was good. I felt the last month or so I've improved and got a bit more confidence in the body," he said.

"It was good to just get back and play a part. To play my role, that's all I can do."

Steve Johnson faces a major challenge to play again this season after undergoing surgery to his hip, with a preliminary final return the best-case scenario.

"It is not impossible, but he is really, really cutting it fine," leading sports medico Dr Peter Larkins said.

"He won't be able to train for two to three weeks and will be targeting the preliminary final or Grand Final."

After consultation with a hip specialist from Hobart, Steve Johnson undergoes a hip arthroscopy on Friday after aggravating the injury two weeks ago.

Johnson hopes to recover from the surgery in time for the finals.

"The procedure will give Steve the best chance to return and play at the level that we are used to," Cats general manager of football operations Neil Balme said.

"Without the surgery it is unlikely he could have played through the finals as it had deteriorated to the point that he could not play without significant pain and restricted movement."

Geelong forward Steve Johnson seeks the aid of a Tasmanian hip specialist to address injury concerns that has threatened his season.

Brad Ottens is excited to return to the Cats lineup after battling injury since the start of the season.

"I'm frustrated to have missed pretty much a whole year but I'm glad to be back at this part of the season and hopefully I can just make a positive contribution to the team, that's all I really want to do," Ottens told the Geelong Advertiser.

"I don't expect to dominate or anything, I just want to hopefully help play a role for the team and if I can do that, that'd be great."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says Brad Ottens will return to the senior side to face Fremantle but only as a backup ruckman.

"He obviously won't play the whole game and he won't be the No.1 ruckman," Thompson said.

"I think we have to be content that he's just going to come in and play a role as a secondary ruckman and maybe a bit of time forward."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says ruckman Brad Ottens will make his long-awaited return to the AFL this week in against Fremantle in the last regular season game for 2009.

"That's the debate - do we want him to play for two games going into finals, or one game," Thompson said.

"Speaking amongst the coaches, we've all got different views.

"Personally, I would like to see him play in the AFL before he played a final."

Geelong assistant Ken Hinkley emerges as one of the favourites to secure the Richmond coaching position.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says that Hinkley will still see out his job as an assistant at the club through their finals series regardless of the outcome of Richmond's recruitment process.

"From all the rumours and reports, he's down to the last two or three, so if Kenny was lucky enough to get the job, we'd be very happy for him to stay here," Thompson said.

"We'd want him to stay here and finish off what he's done - he's a big part of what we do here, and if he was to leave, it would leave a massive hole and we don't want that, we want our team working as a group for as long as we last."

Cameron Mooney says a visit to a psychologist helped him overcome the goalkicking yips.

"It really was doing my head in and I felt like I was really letting the team down a lot with easy shots on goal that I was missing, so I went and sought some advice outside of footy," Mooney said.

"At times I maybe could have gone for a mark inside 50 but I didn't go for it because I didn't want the shot on goal, but I just want the shot on goal now."

Geelong draftee Tom Gillies says his elevation to AFL ranks has exceeded his initial plans for 2009.

Injuries to Geelong's key defenders have presented an opportunity for Gillies to experience senior football.

"I didn't expect to play seniors this year, considering Geelong has such a good team," Gillies said.

"It's been great to just get an opportunity. It's been a dream come true.

"Playing seniors has opened my eyes up to AFL football and where I have to get better, because I didn't realise how good things like skills and speed and tackles were.

"If I go back to the VFL, I'll be a better player for it."

Reclusive superstar Gary Ablett Sr joined his two sons, Nathan and Gary Jr, at Geelong's 150th birthday celebration.

Carlton's Jordan Russell performs an excellent defensive job on Cat Steve Johnson, restricting the mercurial forward to just 13 possessions and no goals in the Blues' big win over Geelong.

"There were a couple of rumours going around before the game that he might miss out. I was really looking forward to the challenge. He's a gun player and he's shown that over the last couple of years. I was looking forward to the duel." Russell said.

"I've played up forward a fair bit in my time so it was nice to go back, do a job and help the side out."

A mass of possessions has seen Magpie Dane Swan overtake Gary Ablett as the punter's favourite to win the Brownlow.

"His last 10 weeks have basically seen him force his way to favouritism, while Ablett missed round 15 then he had a couple of quieter games. Judd has also been quiet over the past two weeks," TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies told afl.com.au.

"Not only is he favourite, but he's a clear-cut favourite."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson nominates Joel Corey as an option for standing Carlton key forward Brendan Fevola in the absence of the injured Matthew Scarlett.

"He is only an option Joel," Thompson said.

"He is a power forward. He is a really good player and Scarlo is not there, so someone else is going to have to play on him."

Geelong forward Paul Chapman is set to miss two weeks with a hamstring complaint.

Chapman hurt his leg in the first quarter against Adelaide but played on to kick a career-high six goals against the Crows.

However, Cats coach Mark Thompson said the club would take a cautious approach towards the injury.

Shane Mumford has had a taste of senior football and now, as finals loom, he doesn't want to let go after having taken over Mark Blake's position in the ruck.

"Now that I'm here, I really don't want to let go," Mumford said.

"I'm going to grab on with both hands and try and stay here for as long as I can and play in the finals."

Brad Ottens will again line up for Geelong's VFL team after emerging from Saturday's match unscathed with Cats coach Mark Thompson saying he is unsure when the ruckman will return to the senior side.

"I'm not sure how long he's going to be in the VFL," Thompson said.

"He did some around-the-ground stuff but he didn't do any centre bounces, and it may be that he doesn't do any for the rest of the year.

"Really, it's out of my hands, I'll just be governed by what the fitness people say."

Brad Ottens makes a successful comeback to football playing at full-forward for the first half in the VFL against Casey.

Geelong names its premiership ruckman Brad Ottens for his first game since injuring his knee in April.

"Brad trained well this week and if everything goes okay at training on Friday we will play him for a period of the VFL game," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

Cameron Ling is voted as footy's sexiest player according to the Footy Fans Survey conducted by the Herald Sun.

"Obviously it's a bit of a piss take," Ling said.

"A few of the guys in the change rooms must have voted for me."

Gary Ablett Sr and Graham "Polly" Farmer are unable to attend Geelong's 150th anniversary dinner.

"I'm extremely disappointed, but unfortunately I can't make it due to a prior family commitment," Ablett said.

Jimmy Bartel kicks the winning point after the siren to sink the Hawks after the Cats had trailed by as many as 28 points in the final quarter.

"I was pretty lucky, actually, to get on the end of it," Bartel said.

"Probably most people didn't see Matty Stokes put an amazing block on for me, and Joel Corey probably stepped around about three blokes to get it away, so I was just on the end of those two doing a good job."

Geelong have injury concerns after their thrilling 1-point victory over Hawthorn. Full-back Matthew Scarlett left the field with a groin injury while Harry Taylor also has groin concerns.

Geelong onball star Gary Ablett is in doubt for Saturday's Grand Final rematch against Hawthorn with another calf problem.

The Brownlow Medal favourite sent a scare through the Cats camp yesterday when he looked to hurt his lower left leg in a training drill.

Dane Swan and Alan Didak have been sensationally backed to win the Brownlow Medal in recent weeks, with bookmakers now rating both players among the top half-dozen chances to win football's top award.

TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies said while Geelong's Gary Ablett remained outright favourite at $3, the weight of support for the Collingwood pair meant the star Cat's price had eased.

Carlton champ Chris Judd is second pick at $3.50 and his price remained steady after a solid performance against Richmond at the weekend.

Brownlow favourite Gary Ablett and exciting forward Travis Varcoe have withdrawn from an already depleted Geelong side to face the Brisbane Lions with calf and shoulder injuries respectively.

Gary Ablett Jr speaks to his brother Nathan Ablett every day - but never about a return to the big time.

Nathan famously walked away from the Cats despite being a required player who had contributed to their 2007 AFL flag.

"There are a lot of players in the AFL who don't really enjoy themselves but they keep playing the game because they feel the pressure to stay there or they are not sure what will be there for them if they don't have football," Gary Ablett Jr said.

"There are always people saying if you have got the talent use it, but Nathan was keen to get away and I respect him for that."

Geelong's narrow loss to St Kilda takes a heavy toll with four of the Cats' premiership players to miss this week.

Matthew Scarlett, Cameron Ling, Darren Milburn and James Kelly have all been sidelined.

The loss of All-Australian defenders Scarlett and Milburn has opened the door for 19-year-old Tom Gillies to make his debut, while Ryan Gamble, David Wojcinksi and Tom Lonergan come back into the side.

Scarlett has back tightness, Ling has knee tendonitis, Milburn rolled his ankle and Kelly was left out after pulling up this week with a tight hamstring. Kelly and Scarlett are expected to return for the round 16 game against Melbourne, while the club last night said Ling's condition would be monitored over the next week.

He has been touted as Nathan Buckley's right-hand man, but Geelong is confident assistant coach Brenton Sanderson will stay.

After re-signing senior coach Mark Thompson for two more years a fortnight ago, the Cats began discussions with their assistant coaches, in particular Sanderson, who has been linked to Buckley through his long-time friendship with the Collingwood champion.

"We have spoken to Sando in a fairly informal way and he is very keen to stay and we are very keen for him to stay," Geelong football operations manager Neil Balme said.

"We will go through the process now and I would be surprised if he were to go somewhere."

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens has suffered yet another set back in his recovery from a medial ligament tear with coach Mark Thompson admitting he has no idea when the 29-year-old might return.

"He's hit a bit of a wall and he can't improve," Thompson said.

"He's been running and doing everything but we need him to keep improving and he's not.

"We can't progress him too much more until he gets a bit stronger in some of the areas and some of the exercises we are trying to get him to do."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says media criticism of Tom Hawkins and Mark Blake after the St Kilda clash is out of line.

The two Cats have borne the brunt of media scrutiny after performing below expectations in the home and away season's biggest contest.

Hawkins had five possessions while Blake struggled to match Saint game-breaker Michael Gardiner.

"In every game there are players that don't play well, but very rarely have I seen any criticism to this level," Thompson said.

"I'm not sure whether they are trying to push issues or not, but as far as we're concerned they are both young players, they are learning and they'll be better for the experience of playing in that game.

"The way they played, you'd expect they learned something and played better next time."

Brad Ottens' knee complaint, initially considered so minor that he would be sidelined for as few as two matches, has blown out to a 13-week problem that could yet see the big Cat miss more than another fortnight of senior football.

"It's a bit risky to put a timing on it because we're always held to it. But it's sooner rather than later," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"He's going well now. We're really pleased with where he is. He's still got a bit of work to do condition-wise, but we're quite pleased with how the knee's presenting."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson has made no excuses for out-of-form forward Tom Hawkins, but insists he will stay in the team.

"He's got to play. We're going to play him," Thompson said.

"I just talked to him about how he was feeling and how he played, what happened out there and what he was thinking."

Cats forward Mathew Stokes will not get a bigger stage on which to prove his worth than at Etihad Stadium against high-flying St Kilda tomorrow.

Stokes, dropped twice in the past four rounds, has been given a reprieve before the biggest game of the year so far.

"It's not just about form," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"He actually got a little bit hurt last week and didn't play the full game. But he played pretty well the week before.

"But again it's not just on VFL form, a lot of things have to be taken into account."

Gary Ablett senior has revealed a five-match suspension marked the beginning of the end of his career.

"It probably cost me another 100-goal milestone and a Coleman medal at the age of 36 and was the beginning of the decline of my career," he told the Geelong Advertiser.

"Although I still managed to kick 69 goals for the year and became fifth in the league's all-time goalkicking list, Greg Durham (then Geelong chief executive) and Gary Ayres (then Geelong coach) started pressuring me to retire.

"When I realised their attitude towards me, I realised I was on the way out."

The football world is salivating with anticipation, but Saint Nick Dal Santo may not share such enthusiasm about Sunday's heavyweight battle against Geelong.

Playing Geelong has not been an enjoyable experience for Dal Santo during the past two years because of one man - Cameron Ling.

In the past three games between Geelong and St Kilda, Ling has not only done a shutdown role but inflicted pain the other way.

Mark Thompson signs a new deal to remain as coach of Geelong for the next two seasons.

"There was never any question of me not being here, so the contract simply formalises the arrangements we have had over the past decade," Thompson said.

"Like everyone associated with the club, I love working here with the staff and players that we have, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season and the future."

Mark Blake's CV from the past 2 1/2 years reads better than most ruckmen, yet conjecture mounts over his position at Geelong.

It's all to do with the imminent return of No. 1 ruckman Brad Ottens and the improved form of understudy Shane Mumford, plus a subtle change in the perception of ruckmen this season.

Cameron Mooney is close to being Geelong's most important player, says coach Mark Thompson.

"He understands and is a leader of the forward line," Thompson said.

"He understands exactly what the coaches are trying to implement, and all our set-ups, and he's such a fantastic player.

"He's almost the most important player that we couldn't afford to lose."

The fascination with Gary Ablett and the Brownlow Medal is becoming too much, says Geelong coach Mark Thompson.

"He has to deal with it and I think it irritates him a bit - well, maybe not irritates, but it is just another pressure that he probably doesn't need," Thompson said.

"I would hate to be in Gary Ablett's shoes because for three years now he has been talked about. It's completely out of his hands and all he can do is play great team footy and try and help us win games."

Geelong will welcome back captain Tom Harley for Sunday's clash with Port Adelaide at Skilled Stadium.

Harley missed the Cats' last two games against West Coast and Fremantle - both in Perth - but coach Mark Thompson confirmed his captain had recovered with the benefit of the split round.

"He's going to play this week - he's ticked all the boxes," Thompson said.

Matthew Egan has undergone further surgery on his troublesome foot. The Geelong centre-half back had screws removed from his foot on Monday, meaning he will be on crutches for the next month.

"There was always going to be a time and it was always going to be about now when they went in and took out the screws, because that's what you do," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"Obviously he's had to go to hospital to have it done, and he'll be on crutches for a little while."

Cat Cameron Ling and Freo's Antoni Grover have accepted the reprimands handed down by the match review panel.

Both players were booked on striking charges during Sunday's clash at Subiaco and risked the prospect of suspension had they chosen to fight their reports at the AFL Tribunal.

However their clubs have opted to ensure their men are free to line up this weekend, meaning both Ling and Grover will be forced to carry demerit points for the next 12 months.

Geelong's Cameron Ling can escape with a reprimand for striking Fremantle's Nick Suban, while Bomber Mark McVeigh is facing a week on the sidelines with a level three striking offence.

Geelong's James Kelly says his team refuses to look ahead to the round 14 blockbuster with St Kilda just yet.

While the football world is salivating at the prospect of two unbeaten sides clashing in round 14, Kelly says the Cats are looking no further forward than next Sunday's clash against Port Adelaide.

"I know it's a bit of a cliché, but the fact is we take our footy one week at a time, and that's what works for us," Kelly said.

"Seriously, as a group we haven't even spoken about the whole St Kilda thing at all. Some of the guys may have thought about it individually, but as a group we're just focused on improving every week and building toward the finals."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson has challenged unpredictable spearhead Cameron Mooney to lift his game ahead of the finals.

Thompson said his big forward was experiencing issues with both confidence and his goalkicking technique.

"I don't really know what's going on with Cam's head at all," Thompson said.

"I just spoke to him and just said look, it's probably not right that he misses them.

"But we've got 10 weeks before the finals start and we'd really want to go into a finals series having his routine set and having his confidence levels OK so that he kicks goals he should kick."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says the Cats would have lost to Fremantle if not for five goals from Shannon Byrnes.

"He kicked five goals and without his contribution we wouldn't have won, let's be honest," Thompson said.

"It's his best game, absolutely, for the club. I've been a big supporter. He missed out on last year's grand final and probably if we had our time again we should have played him.

"He's the ultimate team player and that's the beauty about guys who aren't necessarily in your best 22 or aren't your big profile players. To us he is a really, really important person and I've been backing him all year and will continue to do so."

The AFL's official statisticians have named Leigh Montagna as their Brownlow Medal bolter.

Using the formula that tipped Jimmy Bartel as runaway winner in 2007 and Adam Cooney as a top-three certainty last year, Champion Data has Montagna as the only challenger to Gary Ablett.

Champion Data has Montagna, St Kilda's most potent ball carrier, on 17 votes after 11 rounds.

Paul Chapman will have to break through the pain barrier knowing each possession he gathers against West Coast on Sunday will probably hurt.

Chapman suffered a compound dislocation of his left ring finger a fortnight ago and has been cleared to return, if he can cope with the pain.

"Paul Chapman needs to catch the ball. I think he has been given approval to play -- as long as he's happy to play and can tolerate the pain," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"We'll find out tonight with the wet balls and see whether he can get through.

"It's just whether he can put up with the pain and I'm pretty sure Gary would be right, he's a 95 per cent chance to play."

Geelong's Steve Johnson is now on the fourth line of betting for the Coleman Medal.

"He's just been consistent every week," TAB Sportsbet's Gary Davies said.

"He's probably been the most consistent forward because he's usually got a couple every week ... and then of course he kicked six on the weekend.

"His price is probably reflective of his consistency throughout the year."

Nic Naitanui is in the mix to make his highly-anticipated AFL debut in Sunday's clash with Geelong at Subiaco Oval.

"Fitness wise he's getting close to being ready to being capable of playing AFL footy," Eagles coach John Worsfold said today.

"Form wise and requirement wise for our team - that will now be assessed weekly in terms of when he's ready."

Geelong skipper Tom Harley has more injury problems after being forced from the field against Essendon with a hamstring injury.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson had a feeling Essendon speedster Andrew Lovett would have a spectacular season having attempted to secure Lovett in a trade prior to the start of season 2009.

"We were interested in Andrew and he was quite prepared to come," Thompson said.

"The trade was almost done but Essendon pulled out at the last minute. In the end, we lost Prismall for almost nothing and they kept Lovett.

"Now Lovett's paying fantastic footy and Prismall's back in so they're the big winners out of that deal."

Nathan Djerrkura is in line to make his AFL debut against Essendon on Sunday with forwards Paul Chapman injured and Matthew Stokes suspended.

"We would love to give Nathan the opportunity to play, his last three weeks in the VFL he's performed really well and he's looked like a league player, so this could be a great opportunity to play him,'' Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

Geelong's attempt to have Jimmy Bartel's reprimand for tripping fails with Tribunal finding him guilty.

"My expectation was that he was going to have a snap at goal and I was trying to smother the ball," Bartel said.

"He stepped around me, went past, I tried to stop my momentum going forward, he went past and there was an accidental clash of legs."

Geelong star Jimmy Bartel will be forced to play the rest of the season with virtually a one-match ban hanging over his head after being found guilty of a tripping charge against Shaun Higgins at the AFL tribunal on Tuesday night after an appeal against the charge was unsuccessful.

Geelong midfielder Jimmy Bartel will face the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday to contest his reprimand for tripping.

Nathan Lovett-Murray and Mathew Stokes are facing time on the sidelines after the match review panel's assessment of the weekend's action.

In-form Mathew Stokes must sit out Sunday's game against Essendon unless he successfully challenges a striking charge at the AFL Tribunal tonight.

A poor record also came back to haunt Essendon defender Nathan Lovett-Murray when he was outed for three matches for a late hit on Richmond's Kayne Pettifer.

The Geelong coach says the absence of forward Cameron Mooney through suspension could have cost his side the game.

"I would have done something really brave if we'd have lost the game. Maybe I should do it anyway, I should really have a go at Cameron Mooney because we did miss him enormously," Thompson said.

"To go out with a silly thing like that, it could have cost the club. Lucky it wasn't a knockout final but if it was, it would be disastrous because he's so important to us."

Gary Ablett made a brilliant comeback from injury to propel the Cats to a 13-point half-time lead over the Western Bulldogs tonight.

Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett will return tonight after two weeks on the sidelines with a groin injury.

Geelong's Travis Varcoe is looking to graduate to the midfield in a similar manner to teammate Paul Chapman.

"I got drafted as a midfielder and that's where I'm aiming to go, so hopefully I can follow the path of Chappy," Varcoe said.

"(Chapman) started in the forward line and worked his way up into the midfield, but with the midfield we've got I might have to wait my turn!

"I'm happy at the moment, if I can give somebody a bit of a spell and I can get a bit of a burst myself then I'll be rapt with that."

Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman look certainties to return for Friday night's clash with the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Young Geelong forward Tom Hawkins will shoulder added responsibilities following Cameron Mooney's latest suspension.

Cameron Mooney has been suspended for one game for striking Kangaroo Scott Thompson.

Geelong player Shannon Byrnes is living his dream - over and over.

"I've always been told I was too small to make it, so I had to have my own expectations and not go on what anyone else has expected of me," Byrnes said.

Bunyip Football Club president Alan Wright uses the word "mammoth" to describe Shane Mumford's eating habits when he first played ruck for the Bunyip Bulldogs.

"He always stood out because he is just this bloody mountain of a man and that was when he was just a boy," Wright said.

"He became really heavy and put on a lot of weight at one stage there because he wasn't worried about making an impression in our league or anything like that.

"Then one day he decided he wanted to have a go at football and, really, he is an extraordinary young man to achieve what he has in such a short time."

Mumford now looks back and agrees he was overweight.

"The thing was I didn't look at myself and think I was that bad," Mumford said..

"But I look back now and think, 'Wow, you were a fat mess'. Some of the photos of mates' birthdays and that, my face was huge and I had this big beer belly.

"I was that big and unfortunately I've still got the excess skin to show for it."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson said yesterday that midfielder Gary Ablett would have another week on the sidelines.

"Gary is a great player, but Gary plays in a really good team and he's got good players around him," Thompson said.

"This is not demeaning Gary, because he's just an absolute star and his ability is enormous, but this group all help each other become good players, become a good team."

Melbourne's Colin Garland says he is aware of the setbacks of navicular fracture victim Matthew Egan from Geelong and will take his time returning.

"I found out the day of the Egan article, and it showed the diagram of his injury and that's when it hit me," Garland said.

"It was pretty devastating at first. But it made me realise I have to take some time out for this and not try to rush back.

"Obviously, you can see what happens if it doesn't heal properly."

Gary Ablett wants to return against the Kangaroos next weekend but is only an outside chance.

"We wouldn’t expect him to but he thinks he can and he wants to," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"He's got to go through a progression of his work to make sure there's no risk.

"Our first impression was that he wouldn't be able to do that but we'll see what happens."

Geelong full-forward Cameron Mooney has refused to discount the possibility of a move to the Gold Coast in 2011.

"The only reason I'd consider it is because I've got family, friends, business and property up there," Mooney said.

"It is a lot of ticks but at the end of the day if I go, or stay here at Geelong, when I retire from football I'll be moving up there.

"I'll be 30-31 and who knows what they're after, but I love Geelong so who knows."

Geelong skipper Tom Harley is delighted to be back after seven months on the sidelines.

"You can't take it for granted because not so long ago I almost thought it was curtains because I was so far away from running at any speed, so it was just rewarding get back out there," he said after the Cats' 51-point win over the Swans.

"I had what I thought was just a scope at the end of the year, which worst case, you think is 10 weeks, and it ended up being seven months.

"It was more damage than perhaps I'd mentally set myself for. The last four weeks has come along in leaps and bounds."

Acting Geelong captain Joel Corey says he is happy that Tom Harley is returning to the side this week to resume captaincy duties.

"It was a nice change, but I was pretty much just keeping it warm for Tom and Cameron for when they got back, but it was nice to lead such a good team," Corey said.

"Being captain is not overly different. You walk out first, and you have the last say, but that's about it.

"I don't mind having the last say, but I won't mind handing it back."

Geelong is set to welcome back skipper Tom Harley and vice-captain Cameron Ling for Saturday's clash with Sydney.

"The one thing about Tommy is that he wouldn't play the game, or he wouldn't ask us to play, if he wasn't ready to play," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said regarding Harley.

"He's done a heap of running and training so his level of fitness will be up there."

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says he expects Gary Ablett to return bigger and better from his groin injury.

"This will be a great refresher for Gary Ablett and he'll probably come back bigger and better than ever," Thompson said.

"To have one or two weeks off during the year is not necessarily a bad thing."

Bookmakers will be relieved that Brownlow Medal favourite Gary Ablett will be absent through injury.

Gary Ablett will miss up to three weeks for Geelong following scans on his injured groin which revealed a strained adductor.

Brownlow medal favourite Gary Ablett may is likely to miss next Saturday's home clash against Sydney Swans due to groin soreness after Geelong's win over the Demons.

''He's a little bit tight in his groins. Gary has a history of doing that and its just total management,'' Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

''He's a little bit sorer than normal and with a six-day recovery we'll really have to see how he pulls up, but we won't be taking any risks with Gary. If he's not right, he won't play.

''We're not overly concerned at all. He does get tight groins periodically and some weeks pull up tighter than others. He may miss a week but it wouldn't be any more, I wouldn't think. We're certainly not going to play him to make him sorer.''

As dominant as he has been, history says Gary Ablett is a massive Brownlow Medal risk at a price that is the shortest since medal betting began.

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens has had an arthroscope on his knee but it will not affect his return.

Max Rooke and Henry Slattery have been cleared of any wrongdoing for making contact with umpires.

Rooke tugged the shirt of the umpire while Slattery made only slight contact with umpire Matt Stevic.

Mark Thompson says young forward Tom Hawkins put in his best performance for the club in the Cats big win over the Lions.

Hawkins bagged three goals against Brisbane while tallying nine tackles and 20 disposals including 11 contested.

"I thought it was clearly the best game he's played," Thompson said.

"Although he's kicked more goals and everything else in some games, he was just involved in the game and looked like he was confident in running around and he knew what he was doing and he was having some influence.

"We would love for Hawk to play like that every week because he really looked like a comfortable, accomplished AFL player today."

Geelong Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel has come under fire for comments about the Kokoda Track on The Footy Show last night.

Bartel first described it as "one of the best experiences I've ever done", before making reference to the deaths of two Australians on the track over the past week.

"It's a bit unfortunate what's been happening there lately. A couple of people have dropped it," he continued before apparently giggling.

Saint Nick Dal Santo has been the big mover in Brownlow betting, but the punters still think the medal is Gary Ablett's to win.

Cameron Ling will be out of action for up to a month after Geelong revealed today he was suffering from an Achilles injury.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson has called on umpires to crack down on physical tags put on star midfielder Gary Ablett.

"If people start attacking him then umpires have every right to give free kicks to people who are ball players," Thompson said.

Gary Ablett will take time in deciding if his stellar 46-disposal hit-out against the Crows was his best ever game.

"My best ever game? It's hard to say at this stage, I'll go back and review it and make up my mind then," Ablett said after the game.

"I didn't realise at the end of the game that I'd had that many touches until the boys told me.

"I'm pretty happy with it obviously but as I said, I'll go back over the game and make decisions then."

Eddie McGuire has slammed claims by Dave Hughes that Collingwood supporters chanted cruel insults at Gary Ablett.

A band of renegade Magpie fans chanted cruel insults at Geelong champ Gary Ablett about his fallen father using the words "Your dad is a murderer".

Six kicks, three handballs, six marks and two goals on a night when you spend 85 per cent of the game on the ground is not a bad night at the office.

Nor is it a performance to set the world on fire. Unless you're Geelong's Tom Hawkins.

"We don't expect too much from Tommy," Cat forward Steve Johnson said.

"If he can come in and just play his role, if he's lucky enough to kick a couple of goals that's great. But if he can just play our structures, drag a good defender, take a couple of grabs, well, he's done his job."

Geelong ruckman Mark Blake entered the clash with Collingwood knowing his role would be vital in the absence of injured teammate Brad Ottens.

Blake and youngster Trent West may not have been prolific ball-winners around the ground, but they at least established a clear dominance of their ruck duel with sole Magpie big man Josh Fraser.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson attributes his team's inconsistent form within games early in 2009 to the nature of early-season football.

"That's just footy at the start of the year and it’s probably the hardest period to play in," he said.

"There's certainly going to be fluctuations in footy. We've still got a lot of footy left. It's only round three."

Trent West is the obvious choice to replace the injured Brad Ottens, according to coach Mark Thompson.

Geelong's captain Tom Harley will play AFL football in round four or five, says Mark Thompson.

Brad Ottens knee injury not as bad as feared and he'll only miss two to four weeks.

Geelong will be without Brad Ottens for up to a month and youngster Mitch Brown is out for the year.

Following scans on his right knee today, Ottens has been diagnosed with a slight grade one medial ligament strain.

Mitch Brown, the club’s first draft pick of the 2008 National Draft, has been diagnosed with a break of the fibula in his left leg following the VFL practice match on the weekend.

He will miss the entire 2009 season. Mitch Brown, the club’s first draft pick of the 2008 National Draft, has been diagnosed with a break of the fibula in his left leg following the VFL practice match on the weekend.

He will miss the entire 2009 season.

James Kelly says being thrown into the deep end of the Cats defence will help him develop as a player.

Brad Ottens may be out for up to six weeks after injuring his right knee in yesterday's win against Richmond.

Geelong faces a critical test of its ruck stocks over the next two months after losing premiership big man Brad Ottens.

Geelong CEO Brian Cook says the club expects to re-sign coach Mark Thompson by the end of the season.

Geelong skipper Tom Harley looks to 2007 as inspiration as he waits on the sidelines.

A dislocated knee 12 years ago is the reason Tom Harley isn't playing this weekend.

Harley had the knee cleaned out in the off-season and was expected to be back for the NAB Cup competition, but is still sitting on the sidelines.

The Geelong skipper is hopeful that it won't be long before he's back in the battle, but said at Skilled Stadium on Thursday that a delayed start to the season was in no way a negative in terms of the year, citing the Cats' premiership season as an example.

Geelong chief executive Brian Cook believes his club's home ground can provide relief for others in their battle with the MCG and Docklands.

Geelong president Frank Costa has delivered a blunt message to the new Gold Coast team - keep your hands off Gary Ablett.

Western Bulldogs and Geelong say they will re-sign their coaches before the end of the season, heading off doubts about their futures.

Matthew Egan has revealed he is confident of defying the odds and making a miraculous comeback to AFL football.

Geelong champion Gary Ablett is the confirmed No. 1 target of the Gold Coast team.

Football director Graeme Downie made the bold claim after the club was awarded the 17th AFL licence yesterday, which came as a complete surprise to some media.

Ablett, Lance Franklin and Nick Riewoldt, who come out of contract at the end of 2010, are firmly in the Gold Coast's sights.

Under the AFL's list building concessions, the club can sign one uncontracted player from each of the 16 clubs.

Geelong forward Tom Lonergan is in danger of becoming a Hawthorn statistic should he be dropped this week.

Three of Lonergan's past 10 AFL matches have been against the Hawks and his performances will ultimately be judged by those games.

And right now his figures v Hawthorn compared with the rest don't stack up.

Arguably the greatest concern is his return of just one contested mark in those three matches.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says Tom Hawkins' early selection for Saturday's clash with Richmond is a rumour.

For the first time in Mark Thompson's reign, Cats forwards have undergone mandatory goal kicking sessions.

Mark Thompson is confident star defender Matthew Scarlett will be ready for Saturday's home match against Richmond.

Scarlett injured his ankle in last Friday night's win over Hawthorn, but Thompson says he has recovered well.

Port Adelaide's Dean Brogan and Geelong's Steve Johnson will contest their penalties from the Match Review Panel.

Brogan was charged with a rough conduct offence against Essendon’s Andrew Lovett and will challenge his two-match suspension.

Johnson was not suspended for attempting to strike Hawthorn’s Luke Hodge but will contest the 60 demerit points he was given. He was originally given 80 demerit points but his five-year good record saw the penalty reduced by 25 per cent.

Geelong forward Tom Hawkins is expected to be recalled to heap more pain on besieged Richmond on Saturday.

Hawthorn ruckman Simon Taylor can accept a two match ban for kneeing Geelong's Joel Selwood.

Hawk Simon Taylor is the only player facing suspension out of Friday night's fiery Cats-Hawks clash after the match tribunal reviewed Round 1.

Hawthorn's unswerving physical approach is already thinning its ranks this season, with ruckman Simon Taylor to miss at least the next two matches.

THE Ablett family has been devastated by the death of one of its favourite sons.

Ryan Ablett, the 27-year-old son of dual Hawthorn premiership player Geoff Ablett, was found dead in Berwick, in Melbourne's south-east, this morning.

Geelong midfielder Joel Corey is prepared to be used as a defender in the absence of Josh Hunt and Tom Harley, who have knee injuries.

A fiery Grand Final replay victory to Geelong over Hawthorn is set to play out further next week with several incidents to be investigated.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says the new rule changes will work to make the game more attractive to watch.

Cameron Mooney is a certainty to play in Friday night's Grand Final rematch according to Cats coach Mark Thompson.

Geelong's David Johnson has been ruled out of this week's clash with Hawthorn with a hamstring injury.

Johnson sustained the injury during the Cats NAB Cup semi-final win over Carlton and is still a week away from returning.

Beaten Grand Final coach Mark Thompson has scoffed at claims the Cats were mentally weaker than the Hawks as suggested by Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett.

Jeff Kennett has lobbed a grenade at Geelong on the eve of Round 1, accusing the Cats of not having the "mental drive" of the Hawks.

Luke Hodge has backed Geelong's standing as Premiership favourites ahead of Friday's opening-round Grand Final rematch.

Matthew Egan is to receive an update, and will possibly receive a definitive prognosis,on the crippling injury that has the 2007 All Australian defender's career halted at 59 games.

Having already been told that he must sit out a second successive season, the 25-year-old is due to visit his surgeon today and is hoping for some clarity beyond 2009.

Norm Smith medallist Luke Hodge has admitted he went into last year's grand final against Geelong with some internal bleeding.

Gary Ablett explains his emotions after the 2008 Grand Final.

"I've been asked a lot since last year's Grand Final about why I got so emotional in the moments after the final siren," Ablett says.

"My answer is simple. Playing in a grand final is why we play footy. Footballers play the game so that we can win premierships."

David Wojcinski insists he has lost none of his blistering pace as Geelong decides whether to make him its new go-to backman this season.

Sam Mitchell not only expects another showdown in Friday night's rematch with his Grand Final shadow, Cameron Ling, he wants to play on him.

Geelong president Frank Costa has entered the club's captaincy debate, backing Cameron Ling as Tom Harley's successor.

Josh Hunt will head to Europe in the coming weeks as he recuperates from knee surgery.

Josh Hunt will miss the rest of the season after deciding against undergoing radical knee surgery.

Joshua Hunt is planning to speak to Sydney's Nick Malceski about the radical knee surgery that saved his season last year.

Joshua Hunt must wait for swelling to subside before he can decide what procedure to undertake on his knee.

Geelong will decide early this week whether Josh Hunt will have the radical knee surgery Sydney's Nick Malceski had last season.

Geelong defender Josh Hunt's 27th birthday has turned sour after knee scans confirmed his season is over.

Scans this morning showed Hunt ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee as he went to ground in the first quarter of the NAB Cup pre-season final the night before at Etihad Stadium.

Scans today are expected to confirm that premiership defender Josh Hunt's knee injury will rule him out for the rest of the year.

Geelong started down the long road to premiership redemption with a thumping victory in the NAB Cup grand final last night.