Grovedale big man close to making his AFL debut

GEELONG’S evolving ruck situation has opened the door for Ryan Abbott to move into contention for an AFL debut.

The Cats are considering blooding the 200cm, 99kg big man in Saturday night’s clash against Carlton at GMHBA Stadium after career-best VFL form.

While they are yet to confirm the final make-up of their team, the possibility of playing Abbott, 26, is one live option after a solid month in the VFL.

Geelong will almost certainly recall high-leaping forward Esava Ratugolea against the Blues after he was rested against the Bombers.

That may yet keep Abbott out of the side this weekend, but he is as close to a debut as he has ever been.

Playmaker Jamaine Jones is also firmly in the mix to make his AFL debut as the Cats look to find the right small-forward mix in attack.

Geelong VFL coach Shane O’Bree labelled Jones “ready to go” after being named the best in the VFL on Saturday.

Jones was clean around the contest and finished off his work with two goals, giving the Cats another goal-kicking option while Daniel Menzel remains sidelined.

Menzel will miss a fifth match this weekend and is no certainty to return to the AFL side before the bye, such is the adverse fallout from a groin injection gone wrong after the Round 5 win over Port Adelaide.

The jab was meant to be a standard, remedial treatment as part of his management of an ongoing groin problem.

But it left him with severe pain, and as late as last week he was still unable to train because of the pain and the risk of stirring up the problem area.

His issue is not believed to be muscular tear, rather a complex set of issues that have taken Geelong’s medical and conditioning team a while to fully understand.

He will attempt to run this week and the Cats hope he has turned a corner.

Abbott, who was drafted out of Grovedale in the GFL in 2016, proved his worth in the VFL with a solid hitout against Essendon’s Matthew Leuenberger last weekend.

He also provided an impact around the ground with a number of strong marks.

His follow-up work is also the best it has been and the Cats have been impressed with his aggression around the contest.

“He’s had a good month,” O’Bree said of the big man.

Two months into the season, Geelong’s ruck situation is as confused as ever.

With Mark Blicavs playing a defensive role on Saturday against Essendon, Patrick Dangerfield was at one stage used as a makeshift ruckman when Zac Smith was off the ground.

It did not work and Dangerfield eventually gave away a couple of free kicks, compounding Geelong’s raft of issues against the Bombers.

Geelong also has a call to make on ruckman Rhys Stanley, who played predominantly forward in the VFL on Saturday, kicking four goals.