GEELONG AFLW captain Mel Hickey won’t play in Saturday’s practice match clash with the Western Bulldogs but expects to be right for Round 1.
The 35-year-old also sat out last week’s match simulation involving her former club Melbourne as she battles soreness in her right knee.
Hickey is confident she will hit the ground running against Fremantle on February 9.
“When you get to my age, you let go of things,” she said.
“There’s stuff that I can’t control, and the medical team, I trust in them to put together the best pre-season for me, and that’s going straight into Round 1.
“You just have to deal with it.”
Hickey made a delayed start to the 2019 AFLW season as she returned from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee that she suffered while playing for the Demons in 2018.
“I’ve done two ACLs, so it’s the ‘old’ ACL that gives me the trouble now,” she said.
“So, we’re just managing it. I think you get to the point in my career where you don’t have to train every single session (at) 100 per cent.
“I’m looking to Round 1. It’s an eight-game season and, hopefully, three finals as well, so we need to make sure I’m there for the full season.”
Hickey is confident the Cats after reaching a preliminary final in their debut season will be competitive again.
“I’d love for us to make the grand final,” she said.
“We’ve got a young group, but I think we’ve got a really talented group and we’ve drafted really well.
“There’ll be a couple of girls who will hopefully slot straight into our starting side.
“We just want to keep taking it up a notch.”
