Player news from R22 of 2026: Geelong vs Essendon

Bailey Smith (132/161): Starting on ball
Smith contributed with 38 possessions, 3 grabs and 6 tackles.
Jhye Clark (95/106): Rotating in defence
Clark contributed with 20 possessions, 8 grabs, 3 tackles and managed 1.0.
James Worpel (91/74): Playing inside midfield
Worpel contributed with 19 touches, 3 marks and 9 tackles.
Oliver Henry (88/110): Starting forward on Prior
Henry contributed with 13 disposals, 4 marks, 5 tackles and booted 4.2.
Oliver Dempsey (88/114): First goal… 4.0 from 19 possessions and 2 marks plus 2 tackles. Starting on a wing.

Shannon Neale (87/96): Starting at FF on Reid with ruck support
Neale contributed with 12 touches, 4 marks, 5 tackles, 10 ruck taps and managed 3.1.
Mark Blicavs (86/100): Ruck and midfield
Blicavs contributed with 20 disposals, 2 marks, 5 tackles and 8 hit outs.
Shaun Mannagh (84/104): Starting at half forward
Mannagh contributed with 18 touches, 3 marks, 5 tackles and 1.1.
Lawson Humphries (78/87): Starting at half back
Humphries added 23 disposals and 4 marks.
Tom Stewart (77/103): Loose in defence
Stewart contributed with 20 disposals, 10 grabs and 3 frees against.
Jack Henry (75/90): At FB on Wright
Henry contributed with 17 touches, 6 marks and 2 tackles.
Sam De Koning (66/84): In ruck
De Koning contributed with 16 touches, 2 grabs, 3 tackles and 17 hit outs.
Oisin Mullin (66/47): Tagging Merrett
Mullin contributed with 18 possessions, 2 marks and 4 tackles.
Tanner Bruhn (60/77): Starting at half back
Bruhn contributed with 16 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and 1.0.
Brad Close (60/57): Playing a half forward role
Close contributed with 12 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and 0.3.
Jack Martin (58/73): Rotating in attack
Martin contributed with 10 possessions, 2 marks, 4 tackles and booted 2.0.
Tom Atkins (46/79): Doing jobs in midfield
Atkins added 15 touches and 2 tackles.
Connor O’Sullivan (45/55): In defence on Caddy
O’Sullivan contributed with 10 possessions, 4 marks and 2 tackles.
Mark O’Connor (43/42): Rotating on a wing
O’Connor contributed with 9 touches, 2 marks, 3 tackles and 0.1.
Oliver Wiltshire (38/60): Starting in a forward pocket
Wiltshire added 12 touches and 3 tackles.
Zach Guthrie (33/58): Starting at half back
Guthrie added 10 touches and 3 marks.
Gryan Miers (33/63): Looked proppy on that right knee in Q2 and came off… 0.1 from 9 possessions and 3 marks. Playing a high half forward role.

Jay Polkinghorne (16/20): Negative to QT… 1.1 from 3 possessions and 3 marks… not helped by 3 FA. In attack on Langford.

Dyson Sharp (102/96): Playing inside midfield
Sharp contributed with 27 touches, 2 marks and 7 tackles.
Vigo Visentini (96/84): Copped a heavy hit to his leg in Q4 and limped off… 33 hit outs… also 17 possessions and 2 tackles. First ruck.
Visentini also had 4 marks.
Zach Merrett (95/114): Tagged by Mullin… 29 possessions and 5 tackles. Starting on ball and spending a lot of time forward.

Jye Caldwell (79/75): Starting in midfield
Caldwell contributed with 15 touches, 9 tackles and kicked 0.1.
Jacob Farrow (73/71): Starting on a wing
Farrow contributed with 14 touches, 2 marks, 5 tackles and managed 2.0.
Andrew McGrath (71/89): Playing back pocket
McGrath contributed with 19 disposals, 3 marks, 4 tackles and booted 0.1.
Archie Roberts (68/71): Starting at half back
Roberts contributed with 16 disposals, 2 grabs, 3 tackles and 1.0 on the scoreboard.
Nate Caddy (66/55): Starting forward on O’Sullivan
Caddy contributed with 16 possessions, 5 marks, 2 tackles and managed 1.0.
Will Setterfield (63/67): Doing jobs in midfield
Setterfield added 17 possessions and 5 tackles.
Jaxon Prior (60/82): In defence on Oliver Henry
Prior contributed with 17 possessions, 3 marks and 0.1.
Jaxon Artemis (58/58): Rotating at half back
Artemis contributed with 12 possessions, 4 marks and 4 tackles.
Kyle Langford (57/62): Starting in defence on Polkinghorne
Langford contributed with 14 disposals, 3 marks and 3 tackles.
Archie Perkins (54/75): Starting at half forward
Perkins contributed with 11 touches, 2 marks, 2 tackles and managed 2.0.
Sam Durham (51/67): Starting forward
Durham contributed with 13 possessions, 3 grabs, 3 tackles and 0.1.
Peter Wright (48/63): Playing a forward/ruck role on Jack Henry
Wright contributed with 9 disposals, 3 marks and 16 ruck taps.
Max Kondogiannis (41/45): Rotating at half forward
Kondogiannis contributed with 7 touches, 4 marks and 3 tackles.
Zach Reid (40/42): In defence on Neale
Reid contributed with 6 possessions, 4 grabs, 2 tackles and 3 hit outs.
Mason Redman (37/49): In defence
Redman added 10 disposals and 3 grabs.
Isaac Kako (34/44): Playing small forward
Kako contributed with 8 possessions, 4 tackles and managed 0.1.
Hussien El Achkar (32/37): Limped off in Q1… 4 possessions and 3 tackles plus 1.0. Playing a small forward role.

Zak Johnson (25/43): Rotating at half back
Johnson also had 8 disposals.
Archer Day-Wicks (25/31): Playing a wing role
Day-Wicks contributed with 10 touches, 2 tackles and 3 frees against.
Rhys Unwin (13/17): Disappointing first half… 4 possessions and 2 tackles. Rotating on the outside.