Where's the club at?
It’s hard to find too many faults with a team that’s just won a premiership. But the Cats, as they have been ever since their 2007 triumph, will be mindful of their salary cap. Achieving success is one thing; sustaining it another. Two premierships from three years, and a win-loss record near incomparable in that time is putting the squeeze on Geelong’s player payments. The Cats should still be able to keep the large majority of their group together, but trading for a name player is out of the question. In fact it’s likely at least one senior or a couple of fringe players will have to make way to ensure the Cats remain strong and in contention again next season.

Who they've lost
Matthew Egan (delisted)

What they need
There’s not too many holes in the Cats’ line-up but recruiting manager Stephen Wells and the coaching staff will be aware of a couple of things.

One of those is that the club’s once-famous back half is getting older and slowly losing its aura. Matthew Egan’s career looks over due to injury, while Tom Harley will weigh up his playing future in coming weeks. Darren Milburn, the Cats’ oldest player, is likely to go on but only for one more year. And Matthew Scarlett, while still the game’s premier defender, is already 30.

Maybe Wells has spotted another young Harley somewhere, battling away at another club but destined to join the Cattery and enjoy future greatness. Or is there another mature, Harry Taylor type ripe for the picking?

Cameron Mooney is still the main big target in attack, too, but the Big Hairy Cat is also 30. As mentioned earlier, the Cats aren’t in a great position to trade other than to ease salary cap pressure. So perhaps trading for draft picks – with a focus on a key forward  – might be the way to go.

Tradeable commodities
Mark Thompson, like any coach, doesn’t like letting any of his boys go. But the cold hard facts are he’s likely to have to say goodbye to at least one.

Of the premiership line-up, Mathew Stokes – after unluckily missing the grand final – is yet to re-sign and could be offered elsewhere to ease cap pressure. Mark Blake and the experienced David Wojcinski are also reportedly out of contract, which always has players on edge and rival clubs sniffing about.

Meanwhile, the Cats will perhaps try to find new clubs for Kane Tenace, Trent West and David Johnson, who simply haven’t been able to break into the side.

What the club says
“Winning flags and having a lot of All Australians, as well as some young players coming through, it's very hard to keep the list together … we understand that and we're happy to work within those rules and do the best we can. We'll just be looking at trade week and seeing what happens.” – recruiting manager Stephen Wells.

Crystal ball trades
Whichever Cats can’t be accommodated under the salary cap, Geelong will try to negotiate a deal that nets it the best-possible draft pick.

The Eagles are in the market for a small forward such as Stokes, which could allow Mark LeCras to push further afield. Stokes might be let go with the two clubs swapping positions in the first or second round of the draft.

The Cats would be unlikely to receive much for Wojcinski, given he has just turned 29, while Blake is an interesting one. He isn’t the prettiest ruckman to watch but he is young and, importantly, he’s very durable. Clubs in the market for a big man (Essendon, Port Adelaide) might take a liking to the now-premiership ruckman.

Rate your list, the year that was, and more – The Offseason: Geelong

The 2009 AFL exchange period runs from October 5-9. No trades are official until paperwork has been accepted by the AFL and formally recognised after 2pm on Friday, October 9.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL