Nick Dal Santo cannot see Geelong making any improvement in season 2019.
The Cats finished eighth on the ladder after this year’s home and away season before succumbing to a rampant Melbourne in the Elimination Final.
It was a disappointing campaign considering they topped up with Gary Ablett and added brilliant first-year player Tim Kelly on the back of a Preliminary Final appearance in 2017.
Asked if the Cats were approaching a ‘fork in the road’ in regards to the foundation of their list, three-time All-Australian Dal Santo feels the club may regress slightly in 2019 largely due to the already impressive output of their elite operators.
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“I’ve got them going backwards,” he said on SEN Breakfast.
“I just can’t see them improving.
“I don’t think Joel Selwood can play much better football, Paddy Dangerfield can’t play better football.
“Gary Ablett, Tom Hawkins, you go through their top-end, Mitch Duncan, I can’t see those guys playing any better because they have been so good over the last few years.”
Skipper Selwood told AFL.com.au recently that he fully expects the club’s younger brigade to step up in 2019 while challenging them to lay down the gauntlet to the senior group of Cats.
“I've always been on the case that you never want to anyone to give up a spot. Now I'm in that position where I'm not going to give up my spot,” Selwood said.
“There's other proud players at this club that aren't, and these kids have got to come and take them off us.
“We'll make sure we're around with them and have that healthy competition within the club that will make us the best we can be.”