GETTING CLOSE

Geelong has named three uncapped players, including mature-age draftee Brad Close (pictured), in its extended squad to face Fremantle on Monday night. Close, who was selected in the rookie draft last year, was joined by fellow potential debutants

Ben Jarvis and Nathan Kreuger.

MATURE-AGE draftee Brad Close will be in the mix to make his AFL debut on Monday night as one of the small forward replacements to meet Fremantle.

Close, 22 next week, played in a SANFL premiership with Glenelg last year and was taken by Geelong in last year’s rookie draft.

He was one of eight inclusions in the 26-man squad that will be finalised on Saturday.

Uncapped duo Nathan Kreuger and Ben Jarvis were also brought in.

Tom Stewart (collarbone) and Mitch Duncan (hamstring) return from injury to replace Jordan Clark (shoulder) and Joel Selwood (hamstring).

Charlie Constable, Lachie Fogarty and James Parsons are also in the mix. Last week’s emergency, Francis Evans, was overlooked.

Close’s first game would continue a strong lineage between Geelong and SANFL players being recruited to GMHBA Stadium.

Geelong will be without small forwards Luke Dahlhaus (foot), Tom Atkins (rib) and Gary Ablett (personal) as it prepares to make at least four changes from the loss to Collingwood.

Constable appears a logical replacement for Selwood given his ability to play as an inside midfielder.

If selected, it would be his first AFL game since Round 9 last year. Fogarty and Parsons also have not been seen at the level this season.

Coach Chris Scott said Constable was in the mix.

“He’s in a big group of players who are really hungry for opportunity and have performed well enough to give us confidence they’re ready to perform,” Scott said.

“It’s a little bit unfair just to narrow it down to Charlie but he’s absolutely in the frame.

“We feel like we’ve got a group of players, through no fault of their own, certainly not due to training performance or their approach to their preparation, that they’ve found themselves out of the team.

“They’re hungry, they’re ready. We’re going to need them so whether they all play this week or through the compressed period is yet to be seen but we’re pretty confident they’ll play at some stage.”

Scott said Kreuger would also be a selection consideration.

“Nathan is in that group of guys who is doing everything he can,” he said.

“They’re salivating a bit at the prospect of us playing more players and maybe a less stable team than we might have with traditional breaks.”