Rebuild? No way: Sombre Cats vow to chase Lions all the way in 2026

1 week ago 10

Geelong have vowed to stay at the heels of the powerful Brisbane Lions next year despite the devastation felt after being defeated by 47 points in the grand final.

Cats coach Chris Scott, who was coaching in his fourth grand final and third in six seasons, told about 1000 fans at the supporters’ day on Sunday that Geelong were not prepared to give up the chase for the premiership cup any time soon.

The disappointed Cats watch on at the medal presentation on Saturday.

The Cats are likely to add Hawthorn ball-winner James Worpel as a free agent and remain interested in contracted St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall during this year’s trade period.

Carlton’s Charlie Curnow is also keen on getting to the Cats, but the prospects of that happening appear slim, with the Blues unwilling to trade him unless they get a big return for the two-time Coleman medallist.

“We have had plenty of forks in the road, if you like, over the past decade or two where there was a possibility that we could turn up our toes and go through a bit of a rebuilding process and maybe accept that our best was behind us, and we are just not prepared to concede that. I think it is pretty safe to say I speak for everyone when I say we are not prepared to concede now either,” Scott said.

“We are bitterly disappointed. In this game sometimes all you can ask for is to give yourself a chance, and our players and our club did that for us this year.”

The Cats have lost four of their past five matches against the Lions, three of them from four meetings in 2025. They were unable to repeat their qualifying final domination of Brisbane with Tom Stewart out with concussion and skipper Patrick Dangerfield below par after going into the game sore following his preliminary final heroics.

Coleman Medal winner Jeremy Cameron fractured his arm, which significantly reduced his impact as the Lions’ dominance around the ball eventually took its toll, and they rammed home seven goals straight from late in the third quarter to take the game away from Geelong.

He was in hospital for scans on the arm on Sunday after joining a post-game gathering at the club on Saturday night, and could face surgery depending on the results.

Geelong president Grant McCabe paid credit to the Lions, who had seven players on their list aged under 22 and will add free agents Oscar Allen and Sam Draper as well as highly-rated academy prospect Daniel Annable in 2026.

Geelong coach Chris Scott congratulates Brisbane counterpart Chris Fagan on Saturday.

They may lose Callum Ah Chee to Adelaide and Brandon Starcevich to West Coast.

“They were epic. I thought all year they had the best list in it, and you can see that the coaching group is fantastic, [their president] Andrew Wellington is one of the best people I have met in football, so they are doing a lot right,” McCabe told this masthead.

“They have talked about replicating Geelong, and there will be plenty of clubs looking at them working out how do I chase Brisbane now? They are so impressive and the Ashcroft boys are something to behold.”

Scott has now coached the Cats in 33 finals and managed to lead the team into the grand final for the second time in four seasons with 10 players who had never played in a grand final before.

Dangerfield said the club knew how to bounce back from such defeats, saying the players’ tight bond meant they won and lost together.

“It’s tough, and it will foment over the summer period, [but] those tough periods are the reason it’s all worth it when you get it right,” Dangerfield told supporters.

“It’s a special bond. We are really fortunate. We have some wonderful young players and ageing champions as well. Whilst [the year] didn’t finish the way we all hoped, I still feel there is a great opportunity ahead for this group.”

McCabe had no doubt the on- and off-field future remained bright for the Cats.

“I do think this club’s superpower is to keep evolving and getting better and reinventing. If anything [the result] will give us a bit more of a nudge to think even more deeply about how to get better,” McCabe said.

“Once the dust settles there will be nothing but that appetite to keep improving.”