CRAMERI GOOD TO GO
Stew set to confront old club
GEELONG’S mature- aged rookie Stewart Crameri is in line for a call-up to take on his former team Essendon in Sunday’s JLT Community Series clash in Colac.
The 29-year-old has increased his training load in recent weeks with the aim of getting a competitive hitout under his belt before Round 1.
Crameri came to the club from the Western Bulldogs at the end of last year, but a hip injury — which he later had surgery on — restricted him to just two games in 2017.
He also sat out the 2016 season as part of the fallout to the Essendon supplements saga, but the forward is relishing his fresh start and is keen to repay the Cats for the faith they showed in him.
Geelong football manager Simon Lloyd said Crameri would be considered for his first match in the hoops this week.
“We’ll make that decision later in the week but Stewart has been training really well,” Lloyd said.
“There has been a build-up but we need to be patient with him. He is participating in full training at the moment so we’ll see how he is towards the end of the week to see if he is right to go for Essendon.
“But he is definitely in discussions.”
Crameri’s inclusion would be one of several changes to the Geelong team that took on Gold Coast yesterday, with Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Harry Taylor and Brandan Parfitt all in the mix to play the Bombers.
Gary Ablett is unlikely to be risked if he is not 100 per cent fit with his hamstring injury, although the Cats have said previously they are not concerned if he does not get a match in, given the work he has put in this summer.
Lloyd said Scott Selwood and Lachie Henderson were still coming along in their rehab.
“Everyone has this focus on getting to the line for the very start and I think we’ve said all along with Scott Selwood and Lachie Henderson that we need to make sure we’ve got the bigger picture at play,” he said. “We do want our best team available for Round 1 and we’ll select accordingly ... and I’m sure a lot of things will be thrown at us over that time.
“We’d like to think we’ll have as many players as fit and available to put the coaches under pressure selection-wise.”