CATS HEDGE THEIR BETTS

Many options to shut down Eddie ROUND 11

GEELONG is confident it has multiple options to shut down in-form forward Eddie Betts in tonight’s blockbuster against Adealide at Simonds Stadium.

Defender Jed Bews would have been the logical opponent for Betts, but he failed to recover from an ankle injury in time to face the Crows.

The mercurial goalsneak, who has 31 goals in 2017, was shut down by Bews in their past two encounters, limiting him to a combined three goals.

Cam Guthrie and Andrew Mackie loom as the two obvious match-ups for Betts, but director of coaching Simon Lloyd said Geelong’s options didn’t stop there.

“We’ve got a number of options we have spoken about,” Lloyd said last night. “Eddie, we all know, is one of the A-graders in the competition as a small forward. Hopefully we have the plan to negate him.

“The beauty of Cam Guthrie to the side that thumped Fremantle by 100 points last Saturday night.

Cockatoo’s return is timely with his defensive pressure crucial against a team that moves the ball with the skill and speed Adelaide does.

“Nakia had tightness in the hamstring and he has had a really good week on the training track, he has reached all his maximum speeds and really has no issues medically,” Lloyd said.

‘It’s great to have him back in the team and we look forward to seeing his pressure. He did start the Bulldogs game (before his injury) really well and we will look for that from that start.

“We did well in restricting the rebounding defenders last week and that’s something we look to do every week. Adelaide has got some strong rebounding defenders we need to pay a particular close eye on.”