WILL JACK GET A CRACK AGAINST CARLTON?
GEELONG faces a selection headache ahead of Saturday night’s clash with Carlton, with a near full squad to pick from after its convincing win against Hawthorn.
Key defender Jake Kolodjashnij and boom recruit Jack Steven headline the list of potential returns, while exciting youngster Jordan Clark is also in the mix after his surprise omission.
The Geelong match committee is weighing up whether to keep the same side that defeated the Hawks by 61 points or bring back a host of players who are fit and waiting.
Kolodjashnij has overcome his hip issues and trained strongly through the isolation period, and was again a solid performer during an extended training session on Friday.
Steven is ready for this week and is training with strong intent, but the Cats are yet to determine the path they will take with him.
“Jack was close for Round 1 and he leaves everything out on the park,” Geelong football manager Simon Lloyd said.
“He trains incredibly hard and gives us something a little bit different. Jack will definitely be discussed this week and as Chris Scott said at his press conference he will be very close. If he was to not play it would be because we are going down the path of a conservative approach, but that is something that needs to be debated and discussed throughout the week.
“From a selection point of view, the team played well against Hawthorn and the 22 who played are aware there are a large number of players, particularly the emergencies who went out of the team from Round 1 — Darcy Fort, Zach Guthrie and Jordan Clark are all in really good form — who are pressing for positions as well.” The Cats will play a scratch match on Saturday afternoon against the Blues to give non-selected players a chance to press their claims for a call-up and gain some important game practice.
With limited opportunities outside of training to stake a claim for an AFL berth, Lloyd said the scratch match would be integral for players on the fringe of selection.
“It will be a mixture of match simulation and training, and both of the coaching groups and conditioning groups will work through the details of that this week,” Lloyd said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get to have a hit out last week, but they trained very well on Friday so it will be great for them to come up against an opposition team.
“These games are integral and we have found over the last couple of weeks that players who have been close to selection, who have been playing against what looked to be our AFL team, have really been taking it up to them and challenging them.
“So that just shows we have a depth of numbers that will really push for selection at different points during the year.”
Gary Rohan has avoided serious ankle damage after a minor incident on Friday, while Josh Jenkins continues to battle a back complaint.