SCOTT’S SELECTION HEADACHE AS KEY FORWARDS FIRE

The Cats have already run 12 players — Wylie Buzza, Nakia Cockatoo, Stewart Crameri, Lachie Fogarty, Cory Gregson, Tom Hawkins, Jamaine Jones, Lincoln McCarthy, Daniel Menzel, Brandan Parfitt, James Parsons and Esava Ratugolea — through their forward line in 2018, while midfielders like Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett and Sam Menegola have all spent large parts of games in attack too.

Injury has played a significant part in the amount of forced changes in attack and while it may be seen as a curse, Scott is hoping it will turn into a blessing.

“We feel like most weeks we talk about the lack of continuity with our forwards,” Scott said.

“We don’t want to make excuses but it’s just stating the fact that we’ve got some guys on our list … that would help us in our forward half. We just haven’t (been able to) play them together (over the past 12 months).

“We’ve had three or four changes every week and for the most part they’re coming out of our forward half.

“Hopefully what we will be able to build in the second half of the year is a big group of players that play in that for- ward half and make it very difficult for us to choose which one’s best. That’s where we are at the moment.

“I’d say six to 10 months ago it was much easier to pick our best forward line than it is now. That’s a good problem to have.”

Injury-riddled McCarthy played his first senior game since Round 3, 2017, finally overcoming a round of back, foot, groin and hip setbacks.

The 24-year-old, who had only managed 27 games before last night, got through the game unscathed and was one of Geelong’s best players with 14 disposals, three tackles and two goals.

“When you’re injured for so long you sort of wonder if you can still do it, or what you’re going to be like when you get back and how the body is going to hold up,” McCarthy said.

“To get through one … to be honest, I include the VFL games as well, so I’ve got through four games now. There’s a bye coming up which is a little bit annoying, but the physios are probably pretty happy with that.

“I just want to get to the bye now and reset after that.”

Scott was confident McCarthy had much more to offer despite a solid return against the Suns.