Geelong youngster Tanner Bruhn is backing himself in to have a bigger impact in the Cats' rapidly evolving midfield.
With captain Patrick Dangerfield and premiership player Cameron Guthrie into their 30s, Geelong are working to bring through their next wave of midfielders.
In the Cats' March 1 practice match against Essendon, Bruhn and fellow young guns Jhye Clark and Max Holmes played a crucial role in turning the game around.
Bruhn, who is entering his second season at Geelong after moving from Greater Western Sydney, believes "times are changing" at the Cats.
"I just want to keep learning off Pat (Dangerfield), Tommy Atkins, Cam Guthrie; keep plugging away and bring some younger boys through as well," Bruhn told AAP.
"It's a really exciting time down here at the Cats that we've got some young guys that are coming through at the same time.
"I was able to play some good minutes towards the back end of the season and really pick up a little bit of the workload."
Guthrie was limited to just six games last season in Geelong's doomed premiership defence due to a toe injury.
The 236-game veteran will now be sidelined for up to 10 weeks after suffering a serious quad injury in a practice match last month.
"Unfortunate circumstances it happens again that (Guthrie) will be missing a while," Bruhn said.
"If you looked at the last quarter (against Essendon), it felt like a different Geelong outfit.
"It's exciting for everyone - for the club, for the fans, and even for us players - to know we've got a really good young core group coming through that can definitely take a lot of the load."
Bruhn is set to play his 50th AFL game in round one when Geelong host St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday night, with the potential for a record crowd at the ground to mark the long-awaited opening of the new Joel Selwood Stand.
The 21-year-old made 30 appearances for GWS after being drafted in 2020, before opting to move back to his home town at the end of 2022.
"I settled in a little bit last year towards the back end of the year and I definitely feel more comfortable this year," Bruhn said.
"I've had a longer pre-season and just having more continuity with the playing group and the system.
"I'm in a great place to attack the year and hopefully have a big year with the team."
