GEELONG is poised to make at least two changes for Friday night’s crucial clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.
Ruck Rhys Stanley and dynamic forward Gary Rohan are both in the mix to return as the Cats chase a third consecutive win heading into their mid-season bye.
Stanley missed the victories over Port Adelaide and Adelaide with an ankle issue.
After returning from a back issue against the Power, Rohan was a late withdrawal from the meeting with the Crows.
“Potentially, Rhys Stanley and I think Gary Rohan will play – there’s even more certainty around that,” coach Chris Scott said.
“So, those two are likely.”
Even if both Stanley and Rohan return, last week’s debutant Shannon Neale is no certainty to lose his spot.
“If we have two in, two will have to go out,” Scott said.
“But, it’s not necessarily that a ruckman, in Stanley, would come in for … I’m not just going to call him a ruckman, Shannon. He’s as much as forward as he is a ruckman.
“All those things are in the mix. But it’s not a foregone conclusion he’ll be one of the two that go out if those two do come in.”
After the mid-season break, Geelong will have decisions to make at selection, with Patrick Dangerfield, Jack Henry, Max Holmes, Shaun Higgins and Esava Ratugolea all likely to be ready.
“There’s a big cohort of them,” Scott said. “We just need to think through exactly how we reintroduce those guys.
“Quite a few of them would be OK to play next week when we have a bye.
“So, they’ll be jumping out of their skin. The quandary for us is with four, five, six guys available, bringing them all back at once does present a challenge for cohesion.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
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