GEELONG coach Chris Scott concedes he will never completely get over the Cats' brutal preliminary final exit last season.

But with a high-quality group, headlined by recruit Bailey Smith, at his disposal, the dual premiership coach is ready to move on.

The Cats' 2024 campaign came to a bitter end in a heartbreaking 10-point loss at the MCG to eventual premiers Brisbane.

"I just try so hard not to go back," Scott said.

"But it's funny, I started doing a bit more media as the season comes up, and it's a logical thing to ask, 'how have you bounced back after the disappointment last year?'

"And sometimes I'm too honest with these things, but I'll never get over it completely. So what choice have you got? Move on.

"I'm not going to sit there and wait until I finally feel like it's out of the head. It will always be there, but so will '22 (Geelong's premiership)."

Scott expects former Western Bulldogs midfielder Smith, who trained inside rather than in Geelong's main session on Tuesday, to play in the Cats’ season opener in what will be his first game since a knee reconstruction in 2023.

"It's been exciting. It's been a whirlwind. He keeps you on your toes, Bailey," the coach said.

"I didn't know much about him before I met him, but you get to know him pretty quickly.

"Like he's intense, he's a big personality. It's been good fun our whole pre-season.

"There's been a bit of excitement around our younger players and he's slotted into that group really, really nicely."

Smith, 24, was largely relegated to a wing late in his time at the Bulldogs, and Scott had an open mind as to how his role could evolve.

"But that doesn't change the fact that, like early in the season, our next game, we'd expect him to be sort of through the midfield, but with an open mind that that could change as the season progresses," the coach said.

"He's going to have an impact for us. One way or another it's going to be good fun."

Sam De Koning is set to start his season in the ruck, with the Cats keen to use his mobility.

"We don't pretend that he's a 10-year experienced craft rackman, but we're very optimistic that there could be a high-impact player in that position into the future," Scott said.

"And we're confident that he'll play a lot in that spot (defence).

"We just think that he's got a lot more to offer than being a last-line player for his whole career."