McCarthy still a week away from senior contention

GEELONG VFL coach Shane O ’Bree has declared Lincoln McCarthy to be a week away from putting his hand up for senior selection ahead of this morning’s VFL clash with Williamstown.

McCarthy turned in a flat performance second-up from a long-term injury against Essendon last weekend, after impressing in his return against Collingwood on May 13.

While fellow small forward Jamaine Jones will make his AFL debut against Carlton tonight, McCarthy remains in the reserves, building on his match fitness.

But O ’Bree said the highlyrated 24-year-old was not far off pressing his AFL claims.

“Lincoln is getting closer every week,” O ’Bree said.

“We felt he probably needs one more game. We can’t say he’s in the AFL next week, but another game of football this week is only going to help Lincoln get himself in really good form to be able to play AFL football down the track.

“If Lincoln can get another game under his belt and Sam Simpson as well, and then you’ve got (Lachie) Fogarty and those types of players up your sleeve, it gives you a lot of options.

“They’re all different types of high forwards, so depending on the opposition we’ve got choices then.”

Charlie Constable will miss today’s game, with the club electing to put a mini pre-season into the teenager following his recovery from concussion. However Timm House returns from an achilles tendon injury.

O ’Bree said his side, which has lost three games under seven points, would set itself to win the stoppages against an in-form Williamstown outfit at GMHBA Stadium.

“Every week is really important for us and winning games is a bonus,” O ’Bree said.

“I think we’ve been playing a brand of footy that keeps us in games and we’ve been hard to play against. It’s probably just the finishing touches to finish our work off (that’s the challenge), so this week really is a great challenge on our home deck.

“Their strengths are around the ball. They’ve obviously got a dominant VFL ruckman and four or five midfielders that have been in the VFL system a lot of years.

“When they play the way they want to play, they can get the game on their terms pretty easily.

“That will be a major focus, just around the stoppages and contests, how we control them and win them and make them defend for longer. Keeping the games on our terms will be a priority.”

Today’s clash starts at 11am.