AFL club Geelong has announced five delistings.
The Cats revealed on Thursday that George Burbury, Jordan Schroder, Jackson Sheringham, Jesse Stringer and Nick Bourke will not be offered new contracts.
“It is never easy letting players go, but we hope they receive opportunity at other clubs in the future,” Geelong’s general manager of football Neil Balme said.
Burbury, Schroder, Sheringham and Stringer all played in the Cats’ 2012 VFL premiership side.
Schroder won the 2013 JJ Liston Trophy, awarded to the VFL’s best and fairest, and this year was named the Cats’ VFL best and fairest.
Josh Cowan and James Toohey have both re-signed, while steeplechaser turned ruckman Mark Blicavs will be upgraded to the senior list after joining the Cats as a `Category B’ rookie.
“Mark has shown incredible improvement since first joining us in 2012,” Balme said of Blicavs, who has already played in five finals.
“We believe he still has significant upside and will be able to play a variety of roles.”
The Cats are hoping Irishman Padraig Lucey, who has joined the club as a `Category B’ rookie after appearing on TV Show The Recruit, will have similar success.
“Padraig is a project for us, much as Mark was,” Balme said.
“He is a very good athlete and has good size.”