Club: Geelong
Coach: Paul Hood
2020 captain: Melissa Hickey
2020 best and fairest: Olivia Purcell
2020 in a nutshell: A poor season only got worse when midfield jet Nina Morrison ruptured her ACL for the second time in the final game of the Cats' campaign. The Cats started at 0-3 before recording wins against Richmond and Gold Coast and ended with a heavy loss to North Melbourne. Young gun Olivia Purcell's season was a rare highlight, named All-Australian and the Cats' best and fairest.
New players: Olivia Barber, Laura Gardiner, Darcy Moloney, Carly Remmos, Stephanie Williams (draft)
YOUR CLUB'S DRAFT All you need to know about the 57 new faces
Notable departures: Melissa Hickey and Anna Teague (retired), Cassie Blakeway and Gemma Wright (delisted)
Inactive players: Kate Darby (pregnant)
2021 opponents: North Melbourne (h), Brisbane (a), Richmond (a), GWS Giants (h), Collingwood (h), Fremantle (a), St Kilda (a), Carlton (h), Western Bulldogs (a)
2021 FIXTURE Blues, Magpies return to kick off new-look season
Circle it: The Cats meet Carlton for the first time since their nailbiting win over the Blues in mid-2019 in what shapes as a crucial game for both clubs' finals hopes.
Player to watch: Former No.2 Sophie Van De Heuvel could be on the verge of a breakout season after two solid seasons to start her career at Geelong. The forward/midfielder will be looking for more time in the engine room this year.
Best Rising Star chance: Millie Brown
2021 prediction: The Cats have gone with youth again, but after a strong hand at the 2020 NAB AFLW Draft will be hoping for a rise up the ladder. Added with a young core headlined by third-year trio Olivia Purcell, Rebecca Webster and the returning Nina Morrison, anything less than last year's 2-4 effort will be a step backwards.
