We’ve all had some good laughs at Geelong’s expense about the age of their list, the way they appeared worn and tired late in the season and the recruiting strategy that got them there … but the reality is that the Cats have remained high on the AFL ladder for the better part of a decade and a half without going to the draft for a rebuild.
For most of that time Geelong has rarely delved into the draft’s top ten. Yet in 2020, it came half a game and a near on field riot from Dustin Martin from a premiership. This year, the Cats loaded up with Jeremy Cameron, Isaac Smith and Shaun Higgins and were seconds away from finishing in top spot at the end of the home and away season and they still made the preliminary final.
Is it possible to maintain long term success with a policy of mature age recruiting?