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Gisborne: Planned outages Tue-WedNeed over want: Why Geelong should prioritise Rowan Marshall
Jaiden Sciberras • October 13th, 2025 5:30 pm
A range of list changes still remain in the mix for 2025 Grand Finalists Geelong.
The Cats certainly have the pieces necessary to attack football's ultimate prize, however having fallen short on the last Saturday of September, Geelong – led by list manager Andrew Mackie – are far from a finished product.
Given their incredible record atop the AFL table over the last decade, Geelong’s status as a destination club remains well and truly in place, with two top talents requesting to join the side ahead of 2026.
The biggest of which is two-time Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow. The wantaway Blue and Geelong native has sought a move to the Cats, looking to join friend and business partner Bailey Smith in the hoops next season.
Within a trade package sent to the Blues, Mackie and the Cats tabled three first-round picks - this year's Pick 19 and two future firsts - however given Geelong’s continued success and impending club-tied bids, those three selections are likely to fall into the 20’s come draft night – far from Carlton’s hefty asking price.
While the club holds out hope that a deal can be done to acquire Curnow’s services, St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall also awaits a potential deal, having requested a trade to the Cats following the Saints addition of free agent ruckman Tom De Koning.
St Kilda, led by list manager Graeme ‘Gubby’ Allen, have stated that Marshall will not be leaving the club, stern on their position to hold onto their contracted ruckman. However, given the club’s promises to Leek Aleer, taking their word on a prospective trade is far from reliable, with the Cats on record as stating that a deal can still be made.
While Curnow, a generational superstar, certainly presents as a shiny new recruit for any side, former Geelong star Cam Mooney believes that going all in on the forward would prove a lesser return of the two trade targets.
“I think they need Marshall more than they need Curnow,” Mooney told SEN Breakfast.
“They throw Marshall in the ruck; I think that is a massive tick for Geelong.
“Obviously, Curnow would be amazing, but I still think their forward line is one of the best scoring forward lines in the competition this year.
“It’s not so much that they need that, they need a big ruck.”
Geelong’s ruck pairing is currently comprised of Rhys Stanley and Mark Blicavs, with Sam De Koning rotating in from the back half and young Toby Conway awaiting in the ranks.
While the ruck stocks have certainly provided Geelong with much success, particularly with Blicavs’ versatility and ability to cover the ground, the Cats are in desperate need of a top liner at centre bounce. Both Blicavs and Stanley will turn 35 years old in the coming months, while De Koning’s talents are better suited in defence.
Given the age bracket of their first-choice talents, Marshall - who remains eager to join the Cats - would settle in as the side's number one ruckman for the foreseeable future.
Although Curnow’s talents would compliment any AFL side, the 132 combined goals from Jeremy Cameron and Shannon Neale anchor one of the competition’s highest functioning forward 50's.
With the Blues expected to decline any offers that don't feature any top-line players, the Cats' best 23 may be far better suited with Rowan Marshall, as opposed to Charlie Curnow.
