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Live sport this Sunday on SNChris Scott outlines Geelong’s plans for De Koning, Dangerfield, Smith and Martin
Andrew Slevison • March 4th, 2025 12:42 pm
Geelong coach Chris Scott has outlined the club’s plans for Sam De Koning in 2025.
The 24-year-old has found his home as a key defender across the past few seasons but is likely to be seen spending more time as a ruckman this year.
The two-time premiership coach did have a word of warning, however, suggesting that De Koning does have scope to play in multiple positions which could curtail his ruck minutes at stages.
“He’ll definitely play in the ruck at times but we feel like we've come up with a plan that gives us optionality with Sam,” Scott said of the 2022 premiership player on SEN’s Whateley.
“I don't think I'm giving anything away with the way we think about our game style to say that we don't look at the positions on the ground in the traditional sense necessarily, especially when it comes to ruckmen.
“So the fact he's in the centre bounce doesn't necessarily mean that you should compare his output to Max Gawn's. I am strongly of the view that he could be one of the best key backs in the comp and I think he could push forward as well.
“It’s dangerous saying this because the implication is that you play favourites with players, but the reality is, even with our list management strategy, there are some guys that are priorities within our 45-player list, and he's one of them.
“So, we will persist with Sam where we might not with some older guys, but again, if someone were to make the criticism that he's not the quality of the best sort of six ruckmen in the comp right at the moment, we're likely to agree, but we think with all the other things that he could become, this is going to be good for him and good for us.”
Scott also commented on the prospect of captain Patrick Dangerfield moving from the midfield to a more permanent forward role in 2025.
“It’s a case for us of not limiting the options by being so committed to one course of action,” he said of the skipper.
“Ideally, we’d like him to be a little bit more forward but it’s a pretty easy switch for us to flick to get him into the midfield.
“That is one where we balance what’s best for him and his longevity, and what’s best for the team short term.
“We think we can have it a bit both ways there. The challenge for us is it may well be that Tom Stewart, Dangerfield and Max Holmes are our best inside midfielders, but they’re probably our best players in other positions as well.
“So it will be intriguing one for us to work through.”
Prized off-season recruit Bailey Smith is primed and ready for his return to footy after an ACL injury.
Scott says the idea is to have the talented 24-year-old playing in a manner and a role similar to what he delivered for the Western Bulldogs, particularly in the 2021 finals series.
“He’s ready and really excited,” said Scott of Smith.
“I think Bailey will do that (play as an inside midfielder) quite a bit, but I don’t subscribe to the theory that we should be thinking about where he plays as much as we should be thinking about how he plays.
“So just getting him in those spots where we can maximise what he does. We brought him in not to be a Dangerfield type, we brought him in to be a bit more a line-breaking, penetrating player.
“If he could do a little bit more of what he was doing in that 2021 finals series, that would suit us.”
Another new face at the Cats is Jack Martin who is set to don the blue and white hoops after being delisted by Carlton at the end of last season.
The injury-prone 30-year-old should be ready for selection from early April and Scott is hopeful he can have an impact given he is so clever with ball in hand forward of centre.
“Roughly about a month into the season,” Scott said regarding Martin's availability.
“He’s training well, he’s well and truly in the phase in my mind where he’s getting some game time at practice match level for training purposes.
“We’re not really judging him on his output, even though every time he gets the ball he looks good. We didn’t bring him in as a 29 or 30-year-old to say he’s either going to go really well for us this year or we’re going to delist him.
“It is a bit more of a long-term project for us. I know that sounds strange given his age but we just don’t see any need to rush him in.
“That Round 4 to 6 period is when we’ll start thinking about him. We’ll be thoughtful around it.
“He’s likely to be a part of that (the sub rule). Even the position he plays we’ll be thinking where he can have maximum impact without asking him to do some of the work that some of our players in their prime with no injury history might have.”
The Cats are preparing for their Opening Round clash with the Brisbane Lions which is scheduled for Thursday night at the Gabba, but will likely be postponed due to Cyclone Alfred.
