SLOW GO FOR CAT HENDO
GEELONG defender Lachie Henderson is hoping to play some part in the Cats’ pre-season campaign despite no set timeframe on his return from injury.
The Cats are taking a cautious approach with Henderson, mindful there is no need to rush him back into full training as he battles to overcome a knee injury.
The 28-year-old had a minor arthroscopy on his right knee last month — his second operation on the knee in as many months — and is yet to get fully back on the track.
“There’s no real timeline on it yet,” Henderson said.
“The next few weeks we’ll play around with it and see how I’m going. We’ll just work through it in the next couple of weeks and take if from there.
“There’s always frustration levels when you’ve got injuries.
“But there’s plenty of people worse (off) out there than I am.”
Henderson, who swam in Saturday’s Pier To Pub in Lorne, said he was hoping to be back for the Geelong’s JLT Series practice matches.
The Cats play Gold Coast in Townsville on March 4 and Essendon in Colac on March 11.
“That’s the aim (to play in the JLT Series),” he said. “It’s a still a month-and-a-half away, so we’ll play it by ear.”
Henderson had his operation on his knee in October, before having to go back in last month after still experiencing mild pain.
“It’s was just one of those things, it wasn’t behaving like we wanted it to so we went back and had another look at it,” Henderson said.
Henderson looms as a critical piece in the Cats’ reshaped defence this season.
He played his first season at the Cats in 2016 but has never quite had a stable core of defenders around him.
Last season, Harry Taylor moved forward, while this season he will be without Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan.
“It’s exciting and a bit sad at the same time losing ‘ Mack’ and ‘Domsy’,” he said.
“Everyone knows how great they’ve been. It’s a new dynamic, but it’s an interesting one. When you’ve done it as long as Harry and I have done it, you’re used to changing it up and seeing new faces.
“It’ll be fun and exciting.”