Cockatoo proves up to scratch in hit-out
NAKIA Cockatoo came through his first game in 10 months unscathed on Saturday as he tries to complete consecutive matches for the first time in more than two years.
It was also Jake Kolodjashnij’s first game since last year’s preliminary final defeat, with VFL coach Shane O’Bree declaring the defender ready for an AFL call-up.
Geelong and Carlton played 16 players in the first half of the scratch match at GMHBA Stadium before trimming numbers to 14 after halftime.
Cockatoo played three quarters as the Cats plot his AFL return through a series of practice games.
“He played as an inside mid and just buzzed around,” Geelong VFL coach Shane O’Bree said.
“He looked pretty sharp, he was just excited to play ... hopefully he pulls up well and we just keep progressing on what he did today.”
Cockatoo’s 34-game career has been stalled by a series of soft tissue setbacks, robbing Geelong of one of its most promising young players.
He damaged his posterior cruciate ligament in a VFL comeback in 2018 and only played a half against Port Melbourne in August last year.
Geelong is planning a scratch match against Melbourne on Sunday and it would be the first time since Rounds 2 and 3 in 2018 that the explosive midfielder will have played back-to-back games.
“Where he’s coming from, it’s a steady progress we’ve got to take with him and get him right this time,” O’Bree said.
“He’s doing all the training at this stage and got through three quarters of footy today, so he’s ticked every box so far.
“I don’t know when he looks like playing a full game or what the case is there, it’s more just getting him right and then keeping him right.”
He said Darcy Fort was solid in the ruck and onballers Lachie Fogarty, Charlie Constable, James Parsons and Sam Simpson worked well in the middle.
Kolodjashnij and Lachlan Henderson were steady in the back 50 and inexperienced group Nathan Kreuger, Ben Jarvis, Francis Evans, Sam De Koning and Brad Close played in attack.
“It was good for the boys just to have a hit-out,” O’Bree said.
“We haven’t had a game since early March. We’ve got a pretty healthy list and it was good to get a fair bit of game time into a lot of players.
“I was pleased for the boys because our touch and things we’ve been implementing at training, the boys looked like their training form was pretty good and they implemented it pretty well on game day.”