AFL legend Leigh Matthews says Geelong’s bumper trade haul makes them premiership favourites in 2021.
The Cats responded to last year’s Grand Final loss to Richmond by adding Jeremy Cameron, Isaac Smith and Shaun Higgins as they look to go one better this season.
“It’s amazing, Geelong … Grand Finalists, with Cameron, Smith and Higgins … they’re All-Australian standard players,” Matthews told Sportsday.
“That’s going to make Geelong, to me, premiership favourites.”
Many expect reigning premiers Richmond, Geelong, Port Adelaide and Brisbane to contend for the flag and once again finish in the top four.
The Cats, Power and Lions all strengthened their lists with trade acquisitions in the off-season while the Tigers kept their powder dry, opting to stick with the same group of players that delivered a third flag in four years in 2020.
Matthews expects Geelong, Port, Brisbane and St Kilda to be even stronger than last season thanks to their new recruits.
“The thing that intrigues me the most is the top four from last year – Port, Brisbane, Richmond, Geelong – I can’t see Richmond being any better because they’ve got the same personnel,” Matthews said.
“Joe Daniher will make Brisbane better, and Aliir Aliir and (Orazio) Fantasia will probably make Port better.
“The other three teams in the top four apart from Richmond … and St Kilda just below them … it looks like the top six could be better than they were last year.”
