While there have been predictions of doom for Geelong, official analysis of the Cats' list suggests that they should remain firmly in the premiership mix this season.

In its just released 2015 prospectus, Champion Data has ranked the Cats as third best in terms of list quality, behind only last year's grand finalists, Hawthorn and Sydney.

What would surprise many in the football world is that the Cats are even ahead of Port Adelaide - an early premiership favourite of many. The Power are fifth, falling behind a Fremantle side that showed signs last year that their premiership hopes may be dimming.

The Cats have four players listed as elite for their positions - Corey Enright, Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood and Harry Taylor - but a major shock was that superstar power forward Tom Hawkins fell only in the above-average category.

In booting 68 goals last season, Hawkins won 63 per cent of his disposals inside 50 - the highest percentage of any player in the league - and was so strong he marked 35 per cent of his one-on-one contests, 22 per cent above the league average.