Former Kangaroo Nick Dal Santo can’t see Geelong improving in 2019 and believes the Cats premiership window has officially closed.
After finishing eighth on the ladder this season, the Cats were bundled out in an elimination final and Dal Santo says they are no longer able to compete at the pointy end of the season.
“To their credit, they are always around the mark,” Dal Santo said on NAB AFL Trade Radio.
“They don’t bottom out.
“But I think the next couple of months with the decisions that they make will be nearly as pivotal and important as they’ve had to make in the last 10 to 15 years.”
The Cats have been rumoured to be in the hunt for free agent Luke Dahlhaus, as well as Swan Gary Rohan, but Dal Santo doesn’t think these additions are enough to help them contest the premiership.
“I don’t see them getting better next year,” he said.
“Bring in Dahlhaus, bring in Gary Rohan, I don’t see them getting better.”
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Geelong’s top-end talent carried the workload in 2018, with Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett, Tim Kelly, Mitch Duncan and Tom Hawkins all contributing at a high standard.
But Dal Santo says these star players are unable to take their game to another level, with the Cats requiring a full team effort to compete with the best sides in the league.
“Who is the next one to step up? I don’t see this team winning a premiership the way it currently stands,” Dal Santo said.
Geelong has played finals in 11 of the past 12 seasons.
Listen to Nick Dal Santo discuss what the future holds for Geelong in the player below