Hogan, 21, bulged a disc during weight training in November, setting his preseason back two months.

But Ling, greeting hundreds of fans at the opening of Warrnambool's T[life] shop on Saturday, said Hogan was purring his way back into action.

He said Hogan, who played 10 consecutive games with Geelong last year - his longest stint in the AFL - was ready to permanently step up to the Cats senior ranks.

"We have just seen a gradual improvement with Simon, he has just been fantastic," Ling told The Standard.

"Every pre-season he works as hard as he possibly can. We're looking forward to him having a full season.

"He's having a really good pre-season so far. His back's going really well."

Ling said Hogan's body had developed into an elite footballer's form and said he was part of a new generation of Cats player to ensure the club's success.

"You can see now he's had three or four pre-seasons.

"He has that hard look about him. He's getting the match fitness and getting the kilometres into his legs.

Blokes like him, Jeremy Laidler, probably Harry Taylor, Travis Varcoe - that's where our real improvement is going to come from."

Ling was appointed Cats captain two weeks ago, taking the reins from Tom Harley who retired after leading Geelong to its second premiership in three years last season.

Ling vowed he wouldn't shake up Geelong's leadership structure and said his work would be in line with Harley.

"The good thing we have done over the past few years is that we have had a really strong leadership group.

"Even with Tom (Harley) as captain it has always been run by the leadership group.

"That's what has made us the team we have been ? that really great group of leaders, not just the seven or eight in the leadership group but also your Matty Scarletts and Max Rookes," he said.