DANGERWOOD is dead. That's if it ever lived.

So says Geelong captain Joel Selwood, one half of the Cats' feared one-two midfield punch along with Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield.

To opposition teams and fans, Dangerwood presents the biggest midfield challenge in the League.

Dangerwood is to be feared and stopped at all costs.

To Selwood, the moniker is a slight on other Geelong midfielders.

"It's so unfair to our other midfielders. They're better players than people give them credit for," he told AAP.

"We won 17 games last year and it's not just off the back of two players. We think they should get more respect."

When the Cats take to the field in round one against Fremantle, their midfield could look very different to last year's opener with Hawthorn.

Josh Caddy has departed and Cam Guthrie's calf niggle could extend to round one.

Sam Menegola – tipped by Selwood to grow this season – will surely resume his role off the back of his hot streak at the back half of 2016, with others to run through the middle.

"We expect Sam to grow again. He's a young kid that had his first taste of footy last year," he said.

"Darcy Lang's been doing a bit of time through the midfield and we expect Mitch Duncan, Cam Guthrie and Mark Blicavs to keep getting better and better."

As for Dangerfield, could the Cats' first-up match with Hawthorn revealed a new role this season?

For the first time in his Geelong career, the 26-year-old handballed twice as often as he kicked it.

Considering Dangerfield led the League in metres gained last season, his effort was a radical change from last season.

There's a school of thought that suggests Geelong needs to change Dangerfield's role to claim the premiership, but Selwood isn't buying it.

"The key for him is winning the ball and he did that exceptionally well (against Hawthorn). I don't think there will be too much change to his game," he said.