IT CAME as no surprise when Gold Coast champion Gary Ablett again requested a trade back to Geelong, but it has shone a spotlight on the Cats' list challenges just days after they lost their second preliminary final in succession.

The negotiation to get the prodigal son back into the fold will be interesting as the Suns are likely to want a player in return, with most of the club's developing young prospects under contract. 

With Ablett's retirement the other option, a trade is likely to get done, with Ablett set to play on at a reduced pay rate to ensure the Cats can satisfy the Suns.

Ablett's call means a busy trade period for Geelong, who are also waiting to hear whether Western Bulldogs' forward Jake Stringer wants to join the club after 89 games and a flag at Whitten Oval.

Stringer is understood to have met with the Cats last week as part of the decision-making process that got underway once his premiership coach, Luke Beveridge, made it clear it was best for both parties if the 23-year-old and the Bulldogs parted ways. 

Stringer has admitted he needs to improve his approach to the game after being below par in the past two years, but he is confident he can return to his brilliant best.   

The talented forward's emergence as a possible trade target has made the long-mooted move of Devon Smith from Greater Western Sydney to the Cats less likely. 

Fitting the 24-year-old into Geelong's pay model might prove difficult as Smith has several suitors in Victoria, including Carlton and Collingwood. 

The talented and competitive forward, who grew up in Lara near Geelong, is understood to be keen to return to his home state and has left a contract offer on the table from the Giants unsigned for several months.

Uncontracted Bulldog Stewart Crameri is not on the Cats' radar with the Cats emphatically rejecting any suggestion it was targeting the 29-year-old.

The Cats reshaping of their list is complicated by the fact they has two unsigned free agents who may seek greener pastures.

Chris Scott has been consistent all season in his desire to keep the talented Steven Motlop but the club and the 26-year-old were happy to defer talks until the season ended.

'I sincerely hope' Motlop stays a Cat: Scott

Motlop became an attractive proposition after two strong performances in the Cats' semi and preliminary finals, which means he has a decision to make when trade period arrives.

Will Steven Motlop be waving goodbye to the Cats this off-season? Picture: AFL Photos

Dan Menzel wants to remain at Geelong but the modest one-year deal tabled a month ago means he is on the market.

He would be expected to take up a two-year deal if the right club offered him one at a rate higher than Geelong can deliver.

Menzel kicked 40 goals but his lack of defensive pressure when the ball hit the ground counted against him. 

With Tom Lonergan and Andrew Mackie retiring and Darcy Lang still unsigned, the Cats have created some room to add dynamism to a forward line that lacked spark at times in 2017. 

With a club objective to finish top four being met in four of the past six seasons, Geelong has defied gravity.

But it is doubling down on its chase for talent, making this season's trade period a gamble on the surface.

If it is going to reap the premiership reward it might have to roll the dice even harder. And who could blame them for that.