ENSURING Patrick Dangerfield is right to help Geelong push for a 15th finals appearance in 16 seasons is behind the club’s call to sideline the star midfielder until after the mid-season bye.
After suffering another calf issue in the win over Port Adelaide, the Cats revealed that it would be taking a conservative approach with the 293-game veteran on Monday.
Speaking at Wednesday’s media conference, coach Chris Scott said recent history played a role in Geelong’s decision.
“When I reflect, over the last couple of years, we just haven’t had him during towards the end of the season,” Scott said.
“So, if we’re going to over-index on taking a bit of short-term pain to have him in the best shape possible at the end of the year – and, look, that may well cost us along the way, but in my opinion, that’s a better approach for us to take with him.
“Given there’s two games before the bye, we can use that extra week, which is probably more than he needs, in reality.
“We think that’s going to have him in the best shape to have a run at the last couple of months of the season.”
Scott revealed Dangerfield had been limited in his training since a dominant opening-round performance against Essendon.
“He’s just had a series of issues that have stopped him training without necessarily stopping him from playing,” Scott said.
“And we’ve just come to that point now where we’re not going to take the risk if we keep muddling him along he’s going to be less than his best.
“We’re not good enough to say, ‘well, we can just sort of get through with these guys and still beat the good teams’.
“And there’s a big group of those good teams. We need our best players at their best to really compete.
Scott is confident the break will allow Dangerfield to recapture the explosiveness for which he is renowned.
“Yours and others’ observation is that he just hasn’t quite had that power, (and) with the issues that he’s had, it makes perfect sense,” Scott said.
“So, I think it also follows it’s logical without those issues that that will come back.
“He’s come off the back of really interrupted pre-seasons and in-season periods, really, for the last couple of years with various things.
“He was up-and-going and flying and then just got one thing after another in the first month or so of the season.”
Dangerfield’s absence will create a spot that needs to be filled for Saturday’s clash with Adelaide at GMHBA Stadium.
Rhys Stanley (ankle) and Quinton Narkle (soreness) were late withdrawals from the win over Port Adelaide and will be in contention to take on the Crows.
“They’re not certainties yet,” Scott said. “I would assume they’re likely, but that is an assumption, which is always dangerous.
“And we had some really good performances at the VFL level.
“We are a bit thin in terms of our overall numbers. We’ve had a few weeks at VFL level where we haven’t had many listed players play.
“But those who have played have played well.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
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