Last season's flop of a premiership defence has a refreshed Geelong hungrier than ever to return to contention, says boom youngster Max Holmes.
After claiming the AFL flag in 2022, expectations were high last season, only for Geelong to slip to a 12th-placed finish.
Holmes, 21, was the heartbreak story of 2022, missing the grand final after the Cats elected not to risk him after he suffered a minor hamstring injury in the preliminary final.
But the explosive speedster, who is expected to start the season at half-back, will be crucial to Geelong's attempt to bounce back this year.
"No team goes into the season wanting to bow out before finals, and we were definitely disappointed last year," Holmes said.
"It was a bit of a shock, especially for a lot of boys in the team probably (who have) been here for years and haven't really experienced it that much (missing finals).
"So there is a real hunger amongst the group.
"I'm really excited to see how that unfolds throughout the year, and I'm definitely really hungry.
"So hopefully it's a positive thing and we'll see it come through.''
Holmes' sentiments echo key defender Sam De Koning, who told AAP last week: "It's hard to put into words how hungry we are."
Holmes said he expected an influx of youth to help lift the Cats, while the longer off-season allowed players to feel refreshed.
"For myself, it's been nice to have that longer pre-season," he said.
"I've only been around for a few years, but as much as we want to play finals every year, it was kind of nice to have a bit of a bigger hiatus and reflect well about last year.
"I think we're going to benefit from it going forward.''
The Cats will attempt to kick off 2024 with victory over St Kilda on Saturday night at GMHBA Stadium, which is now at 40,000 capacity after renovations were completed.
Geelong are unveiling the new Joel Selwood Stand, while the Gary Ablett Terrace safe standing section - with railings similar to major soccer stadiums in Europe - has Holmes particularly excited.
"I'm really excited about it. I'm hoping it gets a bit crazy up there," he said.
"We've all been talking about it. We were talking about it last week and we were like 'God, if we kick a very clutch goal out in that pocket, it'll be bloody hectic'.
"We were saying 'what would you do?' I was saying I'd jump up on the railing here and celebrate.
"I'm really excited to see what it's like and I think the whole stand in general is really cool. But yeah, that bit especially is pretty awesome."
