Mini pre-season for Motlop

Cats outline training program for out-of-touch livewire

STEVEN Motlop could be put through a mini pre-season before returning to the Geelong line-up ahead of finals.

The polarising midfielderforward has been “managed” out of tonight’s game against Carlton and won’t play VFL, instead facing a block of extra work on the training track.

Motlop, said to also be suffering a groin complaint, was put through a heavy conditioning session on Thursday and director of coaching Simon Lloyd said both he and Dan Menzel (general soreness) would be better served by avoiding a game of football.

“We thought, ‘What’s the best thing to allow them both to perform at their best in the weeks ahead’?” Lloyd told the Geelong Advertiser.

“We really need to allow them to get fit and healthy, so they’re going to address some of their niggles that they have and they’ll get a good conditioning block into their program over the next week or so.

“That will allow them to be fit and healthy for the weeks ahead.”

But Lloyd said Motlop was not guaranteed to walk back into the side for the Cats’ game against Sydney next Friday night.

“Between the coaching staff and conditioning and medical team, we’re putting some plans in place to see how we get through the weekend and then we’ll assess that early next week,” Lloyd said.

“He did a big conditioning block of running (on Thursday). The opportunity has presented itself where we can actually put the time and effort into him to get fit and healthy without the rigours of having to perform on the weekend.”

The Cats will field a newlook forward line with Wylie Buzza to join Tom Hawkins and probably Harry Taylor inside 50, with small forwards Nakia Cockatoo and Brandan Parfitt filling the holes left by Menzel and Motlop.

“It’s a different make-up of a forward line this week with both Nakia and Parfitt (who) really put on a lot of pressure,” Lloyd said. “And also to introduce Wylie Buzza into the team, to have him play next to Tom Hawkins, we’ll really get to have a good look at how that combination works.”

Jackson Thurlow is also expected to spend more time across a wing, helping to alleviate the void left by Mark Blicavs. “We’ve always discussed that Jackson can play halfback or on the wing,” Lloyd said.

“We know his running capabilities, we know Jackson is an elite user by foot. The way Jackson’s been playing, particularly last week in the VFL, he was actually very, very on the outside where he did have an impact.

“He’ll give us a lot of run and assist us defensively as well.”

Lloyd said Carlton, which hasn’t lost by more than 35 points since Round 5 this year, would pose a challenge to score against.

“Carlton maintain possession through their kick-mark attack and their losing margins this season suggest they’re rarely out of the contest,” he said.

“They’re very high as a kick-mark team, so they really build the ball up in their attack and while they haven’t been scoring highly, it really allows them to set their defence up.

“We’re expecting a good competition.”