The Cats were humiliated by the Swans at the MCG in late September last year, with the pressure from the eventual runners-up proving too much to bear for Chris Scott's men, who conceded the first eight goals of the match and trailed by 50 points midway through the second quarter.

Midfielder Scott Selwood revealed he and his teammates learnt a lot not only from that embarrassing defeat, but also from the way the Western Bulldogs surged towards an unlikely premiership on the back of relentless pressure.

"When the finals came around you probably saw how strong Sydney were and the likes of the Bulldogs and see how much pressure you can actually bring," Selwood said at Simonds Stadium on Tuesday.

"I think when we do it well we do it very good but I think there's a bit of a difference between our best and worst at it, so it's really just (a matter of) getting us really consistent in an area that we want to be known as really strong for."

Selwood conceded that natural improvement would also come if his brother Joel and reigning Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield received more support.

"That's probably the thing that's developed in the last six months, especially in the big games, I think those two took on a lot of loads," Selwood said.

"We still expect them to play at a really high level and play at their best but at the same time I think there's a number of us who can try and help out and stand up a bit more."

With the likes of Jimmy Bartel (retired) and Josh Caddy (traded to Richmond) no longer at the club and leaving "big holes" in the midfield, Selwood believes the opportunity is now there for others to stamp their authority and get the team playing like the "Cats of old" again.

"It is quite a new group, quite a large turnover in the last three years," he said.

"We're really excited by the young guys that are coming in. The young guys are training really well and adding to the group and in no way do we think that we've taken a step backwards.

"I think we've brought in 13 guys in this year and we brought about eight in last year so there's half a list there."

Selwood himself has a new lease on life this year. Having spent most of his first pre-season with Geelong in rehab, the former Eagle's body is in good shape and he now truly feels like a Cat.

"It's good to be a part of the group," he said. "I've completed most of the pre-season, I'm just happy to be out there and train."

Meanwhile, Selwood said Tom Hawkins was training well after recovering from minor knee surgery in October and the maligned Steven Motlop had been "terrific" during this pre-season.

"He's worked really hard, he's come back in great shape and he wants to get better ... he's got a great attitude," Selwood said of Motlop.

Geelong's first practice match of the year is against Hawthorn in Launceston on February 17.