FIVE NEW CATS JOIN LITTER
Ben Jensen 28 November 2005

By Ben Jensen. ON SATURDAY GEELONG welcomed five new Cats to the litter, with selections in 15, 31, 35, 47 and 61. First picked was exciting midfielder/utility Travis Varcoe, taken with Geelong's first pick at number fifteen from SANFL premier Central Districts.

Varcoe, 179cm tall and not eighteen until next April, was recruited from local club Smithfield and made his senior debut with the Bulldogs. Incidently, former Geelong onballer Simon Arnott played in Central's premiership team this season.

PIck 31 was used to grab ruckman Trent West from TAC Cup premiership winning Gippsland Power. West, 18 and 198cm, is described as an athletic ruckman and starred in the grand final on the MCG.

Forward Stephen Owen, 18, was taken with pick 35. The former Ballarat Grammar student, 188cm and boyhood Essendon fan, wants to study sports medicine or motherapy after deferring his studies in 2006.

The Cats next took midfielder Ryan Gamble at 47 from Glenelg (SANFL). Gamble, 180cm, made his senior debut for Glenelg in round 22 against Sturt, and kicked a goal with his first kick in football.

Pint-sized forward Matthew Stokes, 170cm, is yet another South Australian, one of three this draft. Twenty year old Stokes has now played sixty-five games for Woodville-West Torrens, kicking seventy-three goals. Stokes was Geelong's final selection at pick 61.

Geelong will not be participating in the 'pre-season' draft, but will have up to three picks in the rookie draft.