Geelong:

This year:

21 wins, 4 losses - Position: Premiers

This year's grade (A-F) A

Positives from this year: Geelong's second premiership in three seasons was as much a tribute to the club's outstanding administrative and support staff as the team's on-field excellence. The role played by Frank Costa and Brian Cook at the top through to the coaches headed by Mark Thompson and the steadying influence of Neil Balme can't be overstated. The safety net provided by wins-in-hand allowed Thompson to experiment in the second half of the season. Naysayers who queried the Cats' form failed to see the big picture. On the field, Geelong's prime movers - Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel, Matthew Scarlett, Corey Enright, Andrew Mackie and Joel Selwood along with Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman who have special keepsakes to remember their season by - were as effective and productive as ever. Shannon Byrnes enjoyed his best-ever season, Tom Hawkins matured as the season advanced, Shane Mumford became a fans' favourite and Simon Hogan showed promise in his AFL debut year.

Negatives from this year: The Cats had plenty of injury and fitness issues in 2009. Brad Ottens' knee became a running joke, skipper Tom Harley had to be nursed through, James Kelly and Steve Johnson were sidelined for long spells and Josh Hunt didn't play at all after rupturing an ACL in the pre-season. That Geelong was able to manage all of this and still claim the flag speaks volumes for the stability and evenness of its list.

Likely departures: The prospect of a salary cap squeeze will compel the club to trade to keep its premiership core intact. If there are no takers for Kane Tenace, Tom Lonergan or David Johnson they may be let go. To obtain talent the Cats may need to offer talent in the form of Mathew Stokes or Ryan Gamble. Of the 2009 premiership 22, only skipper Tom Harley is likely to be missing next season, but Mark Blake and David Wojcinski may be vulnerable if suitable deals can be struck.

Next year:

Type of Players needed: Stability has been one of the keys to Geelong's success over the past three years and the club will be determined not just to maintain it next season, but to build on it. They have a few handy types such as Tom Gillies, Jeremy Laidler and Mitchell Brown, a potential key forward or key defender, who are likely to get a look in and Josh Hunt will be available again. Extra pace in the midfield of the kind provided by Andrew Lovett who was a trade target last year wouldn't go astray, and Harley's likely retirement will create a vacancy for a versatile defender.

Likely improvement (if any): The Cats have won 63 of their past 70 matches. Expect more of the same next year. Most of Geelong's stars are in their prime and there's no indication that any of them are in decline. The fact that the Cats were forced to improvise in '09 to cover for injury and form hurdles will only make them better in 2010. If their desire is strong, then Geelong's quest for a third flag in four years will be difficult to stop.

Finals next year? Favourites to go back-to-back.