Jon Ralph believes Geelong’s off-season acquisitions have catapulted them into premiership favouritism for 2018.
Two-time Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett’s return home headlined Geelong’s trade dealings last month, with the move of youngster Darcy Lang to Carlton and speedster Steven Motlop to Port Adelaide the only players to transfer in and out of the Cats during the 2017 NAB AFL Trade and Free Agency Period.
However Ralph singled out praise for Geelong’s work at the draft table as well, believing their choices in last Friday’s National Draft reinforced their push towards a flag in the near future.
“The inescapable conclusion is that Geelong should be 2018 premiership favourites,” he told SEN’s The Run Home.
“Everything that they have done has been to draft and to trade for the now. I think it’s fantastic.
“Just look at what Geelong has done… Let’s just backtrack and realise that he (Ablett) has been the best player of the game over the last 20 years, so even if he plays 15-plus games (next year), that’s a massive win.
“They brought in Darcy Fogarty, who is a tackling forward. Tim Kelly, who is a livewire WAFL player. Charlie Constable, who needs to work on his tank but again, he is ready made.
“Ablett, (Nakia) Cockatoo, (Brandan) Parfitt, (Cory) Gregson, (Lincoln) McCarthy… I just see so much upside in them.”
Despite still considering there to be question marks surrounding the Cats’ defensive structure and whether Harry Taylor’s new-found position up forward should remain in 2018, Ralph says that nine games at GMHBA Stadium next year will hand Geelong a mighty boost towards their push for a tenth premiership next year.
In today’s NAB AFL Rookie Draft, Geelong opted to select 29-year-old former Essendon and Western Bulldogs forward Stewart Crameri with their opening pick.
David Schwarz says Crameri can still make an impact on the Cats despite only playing two games in the past 24 months, believing that finding consistent form will be the forward’s major challenge in 2018.
“Crameri can play the game of footy, he hasn’t forgotten that,” he said.
“It’s just where he can get his consistent form to a level that Chris Scott is going to be happy with so that he can deliver consistently.
“That’ll be the issue. Geelong don’t like players that drift in and out of games.”
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