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FWC: FRA v MAR LIVE"The cliff has to come": Can the Cats defy gravity once again?
Abby Crozier • July 10th, 2026 11:09 am
What to make of Geelong?
The Cats fell to Brisbane by 22 points last Thursday night at GHMBA Stadium which was their fourth defeat in their past five outings, resulting in a fall to seventh.
The loss to the Lions left Cats star Jeremy Cameron admitting it was a "borderline pathetic" performance on the Ausmerican Aces podcast.
"I'm normally relaxed about my football and I don't normally take football home with me too often, but I was bloody pissed off driving back down the highway out to the farm after the game," Cameron said.
"It was borderline pathetic and hats off to (Lions defender) Darcy Gardiner who played a ripping game and just beat me on the night.
"It was a frustrating one and I'm sure frustrating for a lot of the boys as well.
"Some of my worst games have been the ones I have got the most improvement from."
It had SEN Breakfast pair Sam Edmund and Tom Morris pondering the current state of both Cameron and the Cats.
“He’s earned the right for us all to believe he’s going to bounce back on the weekend, but there are concerns over whether he’s fully fit, how the elbow is, and if he’s carrying an injury in his lower body,” Morris said of Cameron.
Edmund added: “The arm is clearly an issue, and he is probably sore elsewhere as well.
“The guy has got a few miles on the clock – he’s nudging 300 games and he’s kicked 775 goals. He’s just playing sore at the moment.
Morris continued: “What we’ve stopped talking about, because it’s become redundant because of how good this club is, is that at some stage the cliff has to come for the Cats.
“They’re giving themselves a chance every single year, and I might be proven completely ridiculous and incorrect, but it feels like this year is a bit different.
"Six weeks ago, I would have said they were one of the three best clubs … but their recent form is terrible (despite being only a game off the top four).
“Are you concerned about their viability to win a flag this year? Or even to go deep into finals this year? They’ll play finals, but from there who knows. It’s hard to win a flag now or go deep in finals without those small forwards running around and causing havoc for the opposition.
Edmund said further: “They are masters of their own demise.”
However, Edmund says he has not lost faith in Chris Scott's Cats just yet.
“They’re missing some quality, I think. Gryan Miers is so important to that team, isn’t he? Their little guys are vibrant, and I think Miers and that knee are going to need to be managed throughout the year," Edmund said.
“They’re never going to be able to get Tyson Stengle back, so life needs to move on without him. And Brad Close, for whatever reason, hasn’t been the same player.
“I think there’s enough youth on the list to just keep going.
"Connor O’Sullivan is 20, Ollie Dempsey is 20, Lawson Humphries is the same age. I’m not sure if Toby Conway is ever going to get going but he’s 22. Mitch Knevitt is young, Oli Wiltshire is showing some signs this year, Max Holmes is only 23. Shannon Neale is only 23. Sam De Koning is in his mid 20s (25), Bailey Smith the same.
“They just find guys from nowhere, and their development system is insanely good.
“I would never ever say Geelong are gone – they continue to defy gravity.
"They do because they regenerate, but they’re going to have to be clever this year because, playing group aside, their coaching panel is in the mix for just about every job going.
"This isn’t necessarily (just) a list management discussion.
“James Rahilly, James Kelly, and Nathan Buckley are involved. That’s their three assistants. They’ve got probably the best assistant coach in the game in Nigel Lappin. He’s a very loyal guy … he is genuine and he is as honest as the day is long.
“That is everyone around Chris Scott, so even playing group aside and the upheaval, their core football department you would think is going to undergo some sort of change. It might be widespread change."
Morris wondered what would happen if Geelong's highly-eated assistant coaches were to move on at season's end.
He said: “Imagine if Kelly gets Carlton, and Buckley gets Tasmania? So, two of their coaches are employed by other clubs … by the end of the season, and then it’s time for a finals campaign. What do you do?”
The Cats will face the Giants this weekend in a crunch clash at ENGIE Stadium on Saturday, providing them an opportunity to defy gravity once again.
