Geelong legend Joel Selwood has been impressed with the Cats’ turnaround in season 2024.
After winning the flag in 2022, which was captain Selwood’s last year, the Cats fell away to finish 12th in 2023.
That decline followed seven consecutive years of playing finals, while they’d played September footy in 15 of the last 16 seasons before 2023 as well.
Many felt that last year was a sign of the experienced side finally falling away from contention, but in 2024 the Cats look like a premiership challenger again as they sit 4-0 after wins over St Kilda, Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs.
Selwood thinks that 2023 was an aberration due to injuries plus the short turnaround from the premiership victory and is seeing the connection between the players flourish in 2024.
The most pleasing aspect for the former skipper is that it hasn’t just been the club’s superstars that have carried the side throughout their undefeated start so far.
“I wasn’t around (in 2023) but what I could see was the season probably came on them quickly last year off the back of winning it in 2022,” Selwood said on SEN’s Whateley.
“They got injuries at the wrong time of the season and to particular players that have a big influence on the side too.
“Then there were a few guys that were probably not playing as well as they were the year before.
“But yeah, there seems to be a really good connection piece here. Even in the first four rounds that they've played, they got the killer instinct back.
“It's not the particular guns that are getting it done, it was Jeremy (Cameron) early last year if he wasn't playing well, then the Cats were in a bit of trouble… like he played well on the weekend, but he had a lot of helpers and not the ones that the Cats have relied on a lot in the past.”
Star forward Cameron was given licence to roam up the ground against the Bulldogs last weekend and helped himself to 27 disposals, 12 score involvements, eight marks and two goals in that role.
Selwood loves how Chris Scott is using his superstar much as Christian Petracca and Nick Daicos have been allowed to dictate their own role in recent times.
“Well, there's particular players across the league that get a licence to (do what they want),” Selwood said.
“When the game's not on their terms or going the way that the side needs to, then they use them (in a different role).
“I put Christian Petracca in this sort of conversation and Nick Daicos has been there whether you start him as a forward and then they can move up the ground and link up however they want. That's sort of the role that Jeremy does.
“He's just a little bit taller than those players and plays a little bit of a different role, but they're usually front-half players that you want delivering the ball as many times as you possibly can.
“If not kicking a goal, then kicking it to your forwards.”
Geelong will hope to go 5-0 when they face North Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
