Geelong are reportedly in a position to chase not one, but two top-tier AFL stars over the next two years, despite already being a flag contender.
That’s according to Channel 7’s Mitch Cleary, who revealed on the Tradies podcast that the Cats have significant salary cap room thanks to smart list management, unders deals and homegrown loyalty.
“There’s this notion in footy that the Cats are rigging the books,” Cleary said. “So, I went through and looked at how they can actually do this... and how there is still room in the Cats’ cap for what they believe is two stars to fit in over the next couple of years.”
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Cheap contracts and smart strategy
Cleary broke down Geelong’s list structure, pointing out that key players like Lawson Humphries, Shaun Mannagh and Connor O’Sullivan are all best-23 regulars but still on initial draft contracts capped at $150,000–$200,000.
Six other senior-listed players are yet to debut, giving the Cats flexibility with how they allocate the rest of the cap.
He added that rising star Ollie Dempsey is “on unders”, likely earning less than $550,000, while ruckman Rhys Stanley is “the cheapest number one ruck in the competition.” Even experienced additions like Jack Martin came in “for tenure, not cash”.
Importantly, a cluster of locals, including Tom Atkins, Jed Bews and the Henry brothers, have remained at the club for less than their market rate, a factor Cleary believes is central to the Cats’ system.
While Geelong does have a handful of high earners, Jeremy Cameron, Max Holmes, Bailey Smith and Tom Stewart are believed to be among the few on top-tier money. Cleary estimates that the club has “no more than four” players earning $800,000 or more.
So while clubs speculate how Geelong can stay competitive and still make a splash in the trade market, the answer may lie in a culture of loyalty, value contracts and razor-sharp list management.