Sleepy Hollow to evil empire: how Cats beat the system

Remember when Geelong was Sleepy Hollow, a place where no one wanted to move?

"Twenty-five years ago, no one wanted to come here," McCabe said two months ago.

Now, to its AFL rivals, Geelong is the evil empire. And it has struck again.

The GWS captain's decision will be met with now usual murmurings about Geelong: how the heck do they do it?

How do they keep landing big fish from the top-end talent pool while fitting under the salary cap?

Is it the once-panned lifestyle? The club's sustained on-field success? The off-field stability?

Cynics, without proof, say there must be side deals with Cotton On, the club's official sponsor. Or mates' rates real estate. Or something shady.

Because in the AFL's era of equalisation, Geelong proves it's first among equals.

GWS great Greene will next year be a teammate of Patrick Dangerfield, Jeremy Cameron and Bailey Smith. And, most likely, ruckman Rowan Marshall, who wants out from St Kilda.

The new arrivals will bolster a club that has missed the finals just twice since Chris Scott took over as coach in 2011.

Success begets success. But that's too simplistic for president McCabe.

"One of the things that has been the secret sauce of Geelong and the success over 20 years is that willingness to adapt," he told afl.com.au in July.

"We have had two CEOs in 25 years. We've had two coaches in about the same period. 'Wellsy' (recruiting manager Stephen Wells) has been here for 42 years.

"But around those leaders, there's been a tremendous amount of adaptability and change in how we think."