Jimmy Bartel
We were really happy with his year. He got thrown around the ground a bit, but looking at his numbers he was still a great contested ball-winner for us. Sometimes we wish we had three of Jimmy: one in the midfield, one up forward and one down back.

Ryan Bathie (category B rookie)
Was a star basketballer and this is his second year on our list. He's shown a lot of improvement playing down back in the VFL. He picked up a big forward most weeks and he's really coming along. He's very agile, his vision's quite good, which is from his basketball background, and decision-making and ball-use out of defence has improved a lot. We're really happy with his progress.

Ten things we learnt about Geelong in 2012

Jed Bews
He had a long pre-season and got a lot out of that. He started the season really well, playing on dangerous small forwards in the VFL. He's got a fantastic side-step and can really get through traffic. He's built up his body probably more than any other first-year player, so he's becoming strong, like his old man (former Geelong captain Andrew Bews). He tired a little bit at the end of the year, but he's looking like a player. Guys like Corey Enright and Josh Hunt are getting a bit older now, so we're looking for Jed to step up.

Mark Blicavs (category B rookie)
His GPS results during games are numbers that we've never seen before. I think Motlop and Selwood are quite high among our boys, but Mark is at a different level to them. We've just got to work out a role for him. He's a good size and he's played a lot forward, but he could even play down back or on a wing. We're still learning about him and he's learning about the game.

Geelong's rookie list squeeze

Mitch Brown
He only played a couple of games in the AFL this year, but we see him as a really important player. He started as a forward, then played a bit down back, so we see him as a very versatile player. He's still developing. Some guys take a little bit longer, and he has, but he hasn't done much wrong this year at all. He's played some dominant games in the VFL, he played a great game up on the Gold Coast in the AFL, and he was stiff to not keep playing in our AFL side.

George Burbury (category A rookie)
He's come on a heap, too. He's a Tassie boy who played a little bit in the midfield in the VFL at the start of the year, then moved forward and was very dangerous. His forward pressure was amazing and he worked on his decision-making a lot. He's got a big engine and he adds something different to our list.

Shannon Byrnes
Even though he only played four games in the AFL, he actually had - and it sounds strange to say it - a really good year. He was flying fitness-wise, and it was probably just the development of Christensen and Motlop that kept him out of the team. We couldn't have asked any more of him. We asked him to improve his forward pressure and he did, and he took games on in the VFL. He also led the younger boys really well. He is a free agent, so we'll wait and see what happens.

Paul Chapman
He started in the midfield, then pushed forward and became a really dangerous forward for us throughout the year. He ended up kicking 36 goals for the year, which was a great effort. You always need great contested players ahead of the ball, and we probably lacked that at the start of the year, so that's why we needed him to push down there.

Allen Christensen
He had an injury-plagued year. He had wrist problems and he got knocked out in a VFL game. He was in and out of the team - he just couldn't get any continuity. But we were still very happy with how he went. He's a very smart player, and he just needs a big pre-season to build his body up and go forward.

Joel Corey
A bit like the other older guys, he did get thrown around a bit. He was down back, then came into his own as a great stoppage player towards the end of the year. He's still really important for us, especially because of his ability to win contested possessions. He's like Jimmy in that he's going to have to be a versatile player for us. Will he play 22 games onball for us next year? Probably not. So we'll just see how that goes. He's got to have a couple of operations, but they're not as bad as first thought, so his pre-season should be pretty full. And while we say the younger players need a big pre-season, the older players need it as well.

Josh Cowan
He's become a bit of a forgotten man because of his Achilles problems that kept him out for most of the season. But we see his situation as a bit of a bonus. He's fully fit now, so he should have a big pre-season and become the extra runner that we need. If his body's right he'll play a lot of footy in the midfield next year. He's a power runner with a big engine.

Mitch Duncan
Grew into the year, I thought. He ended up playing a fair bit on time onball, and he's got a big engine, too. He runs really hard offensively and defensively and he'll keep working on his contested stuff. As our established guys get older, players like Mitch need to step up.

Cameron Eardley (category A rookie)
He's a hard-as-nails player. The boys call him 'The Junkyard Dog'. He's a back pocket, he bores in, and he's really competitive. He can take a good mark for his size and we'll continue working on his decision-making and stuff. He's become known as a real goer in this first year at the club, and he's very highly respected around the place.

Corey Enright
Constant professional. The only thing he'll need to a little bit more of next year, with Matthew Scarlett out, is to continue to lead the backline. But he just keeps on keeping on. I could say a hundred good things about him. I reckon he's almost the best decision-maker in the game. His ball-use coming out of defence is spot-on, and he's just a crucial player for us.

Tom Gillies
He hasn't played much in the AFL this year because we've had two defenders who were nominated for the All Australian squad (Corey Enright and Harry Taylor) and we've still had Matthew Scarlett running around in the backline. He played five AFL games and he actually ranked really well in those games - his stats were good and his opponent didn't get much of the ball. It's just an opportunity thing, with where Tom is at. He's been in and out of the team, but we're rapt with how he's developed. He's beating his opponent and getting better with his decisions off the ball. Scarlo leaving will be a very good thing for Tom. He could easily fit into Scarlo's role.

Cameron Guthrie
He played 18 AFL games, and he's such a great contested player. We see him as a really versatile player. We like him down back because he does win contests and makes good decisions, but we see him as someone who can play anywhere. He's great overhead, takes people on, goes forward with the ball, and he'll be a 200-game player, no doubt. There were some games here at Simonds Stadium, when the result was on the line a little bit, and saved us a few times. I can see him doing that for his whole career, a bit like Corey Enright.

Joel Hamling
He's a developing key-position player from Broome in Western Australia. He played a bit forward and a bit back in the VFL this year. When the ball hits the ground he gets there before his opponent. That's probably his signature trait. We've managed him a bit, so he's played a bit of footy but he's also rested a bit as well.

Tom Hawkins
He just came of age this year. Being the forwards' coach, I've been very lucky to watch him develop. It's been a joy to watch. He's taken his game to a new level, and he's so much harder to play against now. He's not only bigger and stronger, he's also leading really well to the ball and making good decisions. He took the most marks inside-50 in the competition and his goalkicking has also improved. It's just amazing what confidence can do for a player. He's now probably our most influential player.

Simon Hogan
He's decided to retire, but he battled well this year in the AFL. He played on the ball early in the season, then he went into a role of helping the young guys like Jesse Stringer and Jordan Schroder. We did a lot of work with Simon helping coach guys in clearance and stoppage work. He played up forward later in the season. Hoges had a good year and was vital part of the VFL premiership.

George Horlin-Smith
He did some great things playing on the ball and down back in the VFL. He ended up finishing fifth in the Liston Trophy and was best on ground in our VFL Grand Final win. He only played three AFL games, but he could've played a lot more. He was an emergency a hell of a lot, and he's someone we would've liked to give a few more games in the AFL. He doesn't need to be coached as much as some of the others, as he makes really good decisions. He's smart footballer and hard as nails as well. Everything we like in a Geelong footballer, George has got.

Josh Hunt
He had a great year. He was really solid down back and he got better as the year went on. He won a lot of one-on-one contests, playing on the dangerous small forwards most of the time. His ball-use is always pretty good.

Taylor Hunt
Had a few tagging roles, played on some very good players, and did quite well. He kept a number of players down. When the Crows smashed us he kept Paddy Dangerfield quiet, which is something a lot of teams have struggled to do. He had to play a sacrificial role a lot. When he wasn't doing those jobs he played across half-back. It was a coming of age year for Taylor. We don't always want to see Taylor as a tagger. We can see him being quite dangerous off half-back and in the midfield in the future.

Steve Johnson
He had an interrupted pre-season and really didn't have his best preparation going into the year. He started forward and needed to get a few games under his belt, but then he showed that the old Stevie J was back. Because he was running so well in the middle part of the year we put him in the midfield and he was quite damaging in there. To have a creative player like him running forward of the ball, then using it wisely to the forwards, was a great result.

James Kelly
He wasn't quite up to his All Australian level of last year, but we were rapt with his year. He was our leading tackler and did everything we expect of him. He's someone who's probably still fresh enough to keep playing in the midfield, partly because he played a lot down back early in his career.

Shane Kersten
A key-position forward from WA who played in attack in the VFL for most of the year and kicked quite a few goals. He's deceptively quick, has a booming kick, and we think he'll play in the AFL next year. He's certainly developed his body really well, so he's ready to play at the highest level.

Tom Lonergan
Had a very consistent year, playing on most of the competition's best key forwards. He was rarely beaten and he really deserved his All Australian nomination.

Andrew Mackie
We were really happy with the way he went, playing on the wing and across half-back. He played well in some really important games for us, when his ball-use and decision-making was crucial. His decision-making when setting up attacks is great, but he also knows when to go back and help out our defenders.

Lincoln McCarthy
He had injuries at the start of the year and at the end, but he managed to play one AFL game in the middle of the season. He only played 14 games in total for the year - 13 of them in the VFL. He's a very promising small forward, who we hope might move into the midfield later in his career. He can take a mark, has great agility, and has uncanny skills. He's a bit like Eddie Betts from Carlton.

Daniel Menzel
I can't underplay how much his injury affected everyone when he went down in the VFL on that day when we were playing GWS at Simonds Stadium. 'Menz' is very much in our plans for next season. He was looking amazing on the track before he got injured again and we missed him a lot.

Steven Motlop
Had a breakout year. Played 22 games, so he only missed one game. I think he actually kept us in a few games early in the season with his run and ability to break the lines. His goalkicking ability was also vital. We want to turn him into a versatile player who can be dangerous anywhere on the field. I'm really glad he's on our list. He'll definitely improve even more next year.

Jordan Murdoch
He was a 19-year-old when he got drafted, so his body has been able to stand up to AFL footy straight away. He's got unbelievable pace and has a great ability to break the lines. We played him mostly down back and he learned the role really well - probably even better than we thought he would, because there are a lot of decisions to make down back. Against West Coast we needed a bit more run up forward and he pushed forward and kicked a goal and took a couple of strong marks. We got him at pick 48 last year and we were rapt to get him. He's a great package.

James Podsiadly
He had to learn to play a different role, more as a hit-up forward with Hawkins deep in attack, and we think he did that really well. The downside is that he's missed two pre-seasons now, due to injuries, so it's very important for him, at his age, to get a full pre-season under his belt. If he can get through, I think he'll get a lot of power back and he'll start throwing defenders around a bit more. We think he can have a big year in 2013.

Matthew Scarlett
We'll miss him terribly. He was still so important for us. He might have been a little bit disappointed with his year, but we thought he still made a fantastic contribution in the backline. Opposition teams were still putting so much time into him, and that's a credit to 'Scarlo' and what a great player he was. And our boys were still hanging off every word he said. He wasn't in the leadership group, but he was one of our most important leaders.

Jordan Schroder
He's come along really well. He's a really strong inside midfielder and he's got an uncanny goalkicking sense as well, so he can play forward or in the midfield. He got such brute strength that he just cannot be taken to ground. He's great at getting the ball out to our runners, but he took his game to a new level this year because he started spreading and running as well. He's taken a while to learn the game, but we're really keen to play him a bit more at AFL-level next year.

Joel Selwood
Had a really consistent year. When we weren't playing at our best as a team, 'Selsy', as our captain, was always smacking in and trying to pull his team along. Eventually, the boys jumped on board with him, but he was very important when we were struggling a bit.

Jackson Sheringham (category A rookie)
A local boy from Bell Park footy club in Geelong, 'Shez' played five AFL games after coming off the rookie list, and he played really well as the sub a few times. He's got that bit of pace and he's a smart ball-user and he's been fantastic in the VFL. He played a lot down back in the VFL, he played forward when he first came into the AFL side, then settled on the wing. He's got great running ability, like 'Boomer' Harvey from the Kangaroos.

Jonathan Simpkin (category A rookie)
Won the VFL best and fairest for the second year running and also played a few games in our AFL side. He an onballer who is great at breaking away from stoppages. He knows where the goals are, he's a really good runner, and he accumulates a lot of the ball in the VFL. He played mainly as a forward in the AFL, but we see him as a midfielder, and he could not have done any more to satisfy the coaches.

Dawson Simpson
We had really high hopes for Dawson at the start of the year, and it didn't work out purely because of injuries. We rate him very highly as a future ruckman, it's just that he had a back injury early on and he ended up playing only two AFL games and 10 or so in the VFL. Internally, we rate him very highly and we've got high hopes for him. The two games he played in the AFL were the only two where we dominated the hit-outs.

Billie Smedts
Didn't play at all last year, so this was basically his first year. He had a fantastic pre-season and looked really good. We started him down back, but that probably didn't work out as well as we would've liked, so we moved him to the other end to play as a pressure forward. He played that role very naturally. He's got amazing agility and he played his role very well. He could play anywhere down the track, and he's a first-round draft pick, so we've got really high hopes for him.

Orren Stephenson
'Big O' battled really well and we think he improved as a ruckman this year, even though he's just turned 30. It took him a while to get used to AFL level, but his last few games were outstanding. Even when he broke his hand in Perth he was terrific. There was a Collingwood game earlier in the season that he played well in also. We couldn't have asked for any more from him. He even went forward in the VFL and took a few big grabs and kicked a few goals.

Mathew Stokes
He improved as the year went on. I reckon during the last third of the season he was one of the better players in our team. He really took on that high forward role. He was really important when it came to getting clearances and he is great at getting front and square and crumbing goals. He's very important to our structure.

Jesse Stringer (category A rookie)
He was fantastic before his time out of the game (due to a club suspension). We rate him very highly. He's one of those players who has a lot of time with the ball, uses it really well most of the time, and is really hard at the contest. Even though we played him as an outside midfielder in the AFL - on the wing - he's very hard at the ball and he's very composed.

Harry Taylor
He was his usually reliable self in the backline. He was right up there with intercept marks in the competition. Last year Lonergan probably took the biggest forward most weeks, but they shared that a lot more this year. I think that worked quite well. Harry also pushed forward for us at times. He kicked six goals against GWS, which was a great effort. He's such a contested mark that he can be very dangerous up forward. We might use him forward a bit more in the future.

Travis Varcoe
We were desperate to get him back, but it didn't work out unfortunately. It was a very frustrating year for Trav. But, like Josh Cowan, we hope he can have a really good pre-season and then not miss a beat next season. We need his run back in the team.

Nathan Vardy
We weren't 100 per cent sure what was going to happen with 'Vards', but everything has come through well. He had no soreness after the game he played in the VFL and AFL late in the season. We feel like we're blessed that he came back. When we saw him running and jumping at the ball, it was a great sight.

Josh Walker (category A rookie)
I don't think he would've dreamed of having the year that he did. He came into our AFL side, played up forward, jumped at the ball and took some great contested marks. He's got a massive engine. He's had to learn the ruck craft a little bit, and we'll probably continue with that. It's good to have a bloke in the forward line who can take a mark but also put pressure on, and that's what he did. His tackle numbers in the forward 50 were very good.

Trent West
He battled manfully all season. There was a stage where he was our only fit ruckman on our list, so he couldn't have done any more. To play 21 games as the No. 1 ruckman is a pretty big effort. But he's still developing and that was a good year for him to push through and play a full year out. He pushed forward, took some good marks and kicked a few goals, and he's only going to improve from that.

David Wojcinski
Injuries plagued him all season. It was one thing after the other. He still played four games in the AFL, and it was still amazing that he looked as quick as when he started. He really enjoyed playing a lot with the VFL boys and for him to bow out with a VFL premiership was very special. He's been a great servant of the club. He didn't play in the 2008 Grand Final that we lost; he just played in the three winning ones. That tells you how important he was to us.