McDonald boost for Cats

Geelong will welcome back gun midfielder Amy McDonald from injury for Thursday night’s clash with fellow finals contender Hawthorn at GMHBA Stadium.

The three-time best-and-fairest hurt her hamstring during the Round 2 loss to St Kilda.

“Amy’s done a great job being really diligent with her rehab, and the first half she played against St Kilda was really impressive,” coach Mick Stinear said.

“So, hopefully she can pick up where she left off

“(Assistant coach) Ryan Pendlebury is doing a great job with the mids, and they’re continuing to grow and evolve as we are as a team.”

McDonald’s return will add further depth to the Cats’ midfield as it chases a sixth consecutive win. It also means the 24-player squad is unlikely to require top-ups to fill out the emergencies.

Geelong is chasing its first win over Hawthorn since 2023, losing the past two Grand Final Public Holiday Eve matches to the Hawks, including by 18 points in 2024 in one of the best AFLW matches in the competition’s history to that point.

Stinear says the Cats are fazed by the five-day break following the win over Collingwood.

“There were some gaps in the way we wanted to play, so to not have to wait too long to get another game and to have a home game against a strong team that we’ve got good history with… there’s been some really good performances here on a Thursday night leading into a grand final,” he said.

“We’re hoping to get a big crowd, and I think our group’s just happy to keep playing footy and a chance for us to get better against a team that’s in form and proved themselves against the best last week.”

Meanwhile, Catie Tipping (knee) has returned to training with the team, while Geelong’s medical staff has yet to determine a timeline for Zali Friswell’s return from a stress reaction in her femur.

K rock Football is live from 6:30pm Thursday, delay-free via the K rock app

X: @krockfootball

GEELONG AFLW INJURY LIST