Jake Kolodjashnij will play his first AFL game in nearly 19 months when Geelong faces West Coast at Norwood Oval as part of Gather Round on Sunday.
The 30-year-old has been stuck on 198 games since the 2024 preliminary final after battling ongoing hip and groin issues last year, managing just three VFL games.
He’s successfully negotiated two VFL matches this year and was managed last week to play against the Eagles.
Kolodjashnij is one of three inclusions for the Cats, with former Hawthorn midfielder James Worpel recalled for what will be his 150th AFL match and Mark O’Connor returning after being managed out of the Easter Monday loss to the Hawks.
Jack Martin and Jack Henry join Mark Blicavs, who will play his 300th game in next Friday’s clash with the Western Bulldogs, in being managed.
Coach Chris Scott spoke of the balancing act when it comes to managing players at his weekly media conference this (Friday) morning.
“You sort of feel like the right thing to do for those guys longer term is really clear, but there’s a nervousness with taking important players out of your team,” he said.
It would be nice to feel… like that had changed over time or gotten easier, but it makes us a little bit anxious.
“Again, if we focus on the longer term, it’s clear it’s the right thing for us to do.”
Captain Patrick Dangerfield will spend another week on the sidelines, with Geelong prioritising training over managed game time.
“There’s a really strong argument that that training block has been completed, but to be 100% sure (it) just made sense for him to… prioritise a bigger session… which will happen today, over the game time on Sunday,” Scott said.
“So it was balancing which one made a bit more sense.
“But again, sometimes when we talk about these things it sounds too much or there’s a there’s an an appearance of an emphasis on management over playing well, and that’s just not the case at all.”
West Coast has made three changes.
The Eagles confirmed last night that Jamie Cripps would be managed, with Matt Flynn and Malakai Champion omitted.
They’ve been replaced by former Brisbane Lions midfielder Deven Robertson, Elijah Hewett and Bailey Williams.
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GEELONG
INS: J. Kolodjashnij, M. O’Connor, J. Worpel
OUTS: M. Blicavs (managed), J. Henry (managed), J. Martin (managed)
B: Sam De Koning (16), Zach Guthrie (39), Connor O’Sullivan (14)
HB: Lawson Humphries (17), Tom Stewart (44), Oisin Mullin (34)
C: Jack Bowes (12), Bailey Smith (3), Oliver Dempsey (28)
HF: Shaun Mannagh (7), Shannon Neale (33), Brad Close (45)
F: Oliver Wiltshire (21), Jeremy Cameron (5), Oliver Henry (36)
Fol: Mitchell Edwards (11), Tom Atkins (30), Max Holmes (9)
Int: James Worpel (29), Jake Kolodjashnij (8), Mark O’Connor (42), Tanner Bruhn (4), Gryan Miers (32)
E: Jack Henry (38), Mitch Knevitt (10), Jack Martin (19)
