Geelong vs Fremantle Dockers Tips - Cats to soak up the heat in front of home fans

The Geelong take on Fremantle Dockers in the Round 1 of the AFL season on Saturday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium in Sydney.

The Cats head in as favourites for their opening match and have won 19 of their past 25 on their home ground, including four of their last five in 2024. 

The Dockers were five from 11 outside of Perth in 2024 but are one of few sides that have performed well at Geelong in recent times, coming home as winners in their last two appearances at the venue. 

They were in finals contention late in 2024 before dropping their last four matches and finishing 9th, while Geelong finished 3rd and missed out on another Grand Final appearance when going down to Brisbane in the Preliminary Final. 

The two sides traded blows last year winning one apiece in their respective matches. Interestingly, Fremantle’s win came in Geelong, while Geelong’s win came at Fremantle’s home ground in Perth (Optus Stadium). 

Fremantle have won their past two matches at GMHBA Stadium by seveb points last year and by three points in 2022. 

Andrew Brayshaw, Luke Ryan, Caleb Serong all average 25+ disposals in thei past four appearances against the Cats. Tom Stewart has averaged 25 for Geelong. 

Geelong’s 2024 season saw them return to form after missing finals in 2023, finishing 3rd with a 15-8 win-loss record and reaching a preliminary final, only to lose to eventual premiers Brisbane. The Cats started 2024 in brilliant fashion, winning their first seven games. Over the course of the year, Geelong topped the competiton for goals scored per game, while they ranked 4th for intercept marks. Max Holmes, Tanner Bruhn and the rising star, Ollie Dempsey, stepped up alongside veterans Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart. Bailey Smith comes across from the Western Bulldogs, while Tom Hawkins retires. 

In the 2025 pre-season, Geelong has shown some mixed form. They were strong in match simulation against Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium before dropping their Community Series clash with Essendon. Max Holmes and Bailey Smith showed promise in the midfield and while Hawkins is gone, the Cats will be well served by some familiar names up forward in Jeremy Cameron, Tyseon Stengle and Ollie Henry.

Jack Martin is another off-season addition but may be eased in after an interrupted pre-season. The Cats face some challenges with their ruck setup, as Toby Conway remains injured, and Cam Guthrie will miss the start of the season, giving Mitch Knevitt an opportunity in the midfield. Despite these setbacks, Ollie Henry is expected to be fit for Round 1, and young defender Connor O’Sullivan has impressed in pre-season matches.

Fremantle’s 2024 season was a rollercoaster, finishing 10th with a 12-10-1 record, narrowly missing finals after a late-season stumble. The Dockers started strongly, climbing to 3rd by Round 15 with an elite midfield led by Caleb Serong, Hayden Young (11th-rated player league-wide), and Andrew Brayshaw. Josh Treacy’s enjoyed a breakout season up forward. However, injuries to Alex Pearce and Treacy, were costly late in the season. Shai Bolton comes across from Richmond adding firepower up forward, but they will need better connection as they were 10th for inside-50s in 2024 despite a strong clearance game.

So far in the pre-season, Fremantle went down to the Indigenous All-Stars at Optus Stadium but were 19-point winners in the Community Series clash with Melbourne. Fremantle’s talent suggests they can challenge Geelong and they have a great recent record at the venue, but their cautious style and reliance on a young list may see them tested against the seasoned Cats.

Hayden Young will miss Fremantle's season opener due to a re-injured hamstring, pushing Jaegar O'Meara into the starting midfield. With Sean Darcy also sidelined, Luke Jackson will take the No. 1 ruck role, supported by Josh Treacy and Liam Reidy. Shai Bolton and top-10 pick Neil Erasmus are in the mix, with Murphy Reid also a potential debutant after a strong pre-season showing.

B: B.Cox, A.Pearce - C, J.Draper

HB: L.Ryan, B.Walker, J.Clark

C: N.O’Driscoll, J.O’Meara, J.Sharp

HF: M.Reid, M.Frederick, S.Switkowski

F: L.Jackson, J.Treacy, J.Amiss

FOLL: L.Reidy, C.Serong, A.Brayshaw

I/C: B.Banfield, M.Johnson, K.Worner, H.Chapman, C.Wagner

EMG: P.Voss, N.Erasmus, C.Simpson