Geelong will be looking to avoid successive non-finals finishes for the first time in two decades when they look to bounce back from a 2023 campaign that saw them finish 12th.
In their attempt to defend the premiership, the Cats could only conjure 10 wins from their 23 games under Chris Scott, with injuries and areas of weakness opening up throughout the year.
The Cats weren't as active as they often have been through the trade and free agency periods, instead attacking the draft to bring in a total of seven fresh faces.
A quartet of those inclusions came in the form of mature-aged assets, with recruiter Stephen Wells hoping to have uncovered another diamond or two from the rough.
Among those is VFL star Shaun Mannagh, who will be firmly in the selection conversation to start the 2024 season.
Here we've previewed what Geelong's best 23 for 2024 might look like...
BEST 23s: ADELAIDE, BRISBANE, CARLTON, COLLINGWOOD, ESSENDON, FREMANTLE
3. Forwards
An area of the field where the Cats aren't short on star options, with Coleman Medal-winning pair Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron to spearhead Geelong's attack once again. The pair combined for over 100 goals in 2023 while both missed some games through injury.
Recruit Ollie Henry was more than serviceable in his first year at the Cats, booting 41 goals from 22 games - kicking multiple majors in 14 of those matches.
Athletic attacker Gary Rohan will act as the third or fourth tall in the front third, while the damaging trio of Tyson Stengle, Brad Close and Gryan Miers will roam the forward line and offer some pressure on the defensive end.
The aforementioned Mannagh is likely to spend some time at half-forward given his attacking traits, while Oliver Dempsey could get a decent look next year after a strong 2023 season at VFL level.
Local recruit Ollie Wiltshire will be a left-field option for a run in the forward line in his maiden year, but will likely only get a look if injuries strike Geelong's forward mix.
Fringe tall Shannon Neale could be viewed as a long-term forward for the Cats as Hawkins and Cameron near the end of their respective careers, while utility Jack Henry is likely to spend some time forward when needed.
