Fitness first for Cats on standby
OMITTED Cats Dan Menzel and Wylie Buzza will be among the bunch of Geelong players training in match simulation over the weekend.
Geelong’s VFL side failed to make finals, but the AFL team’s doublechance final means the Cats’ extended list will be retaining match fitness on the training track in preparation for a potential call-up.
Among those players on the fringe of the best 22 include Menzel, Buzza, Jackson Thurlow, Darcy Lang, Rhys Stanley and Sam Simpson.
“We’re getting a healthy list towards the end of the season, which is good,” Geelong VFL coach Shane O’Bree said.
“The boys will do a training run, so the guys that are emergency (Menzel, Buzza, Thurlow), if they don’t get a run Friday night, they’ll have a hit out on the weekend and try and do as much match-simulation practice as they can to keep them fit and raring to go.
“There’ll be some unlucky guys that don’t get a game, but it’s just a matter of staying positive and keeping them fully charged so they’re right to go.”
O’Bree said the Cats hadn’t organised to train with another reserves club as Adelaide and GWS have done.
But he said the Cats would be open to the idea of a scratch match in the next few weeks.
“I suppose if Richmond’s reserves lost last week we might have been a chance of doing it,” he said.
“I know GWS and Adelaide are having one which is always handy but it’s a bit of an expense.
“I suppose down the track if we’re able to find a team, it will definitely help with the match practice side of things.”