Geelong coach Chris Scott is confident his side has what it takes to keep Carlton’s big forwards at bay in the absence of star defender Tom Stewart.
The five-time All-Australian will miss the Saturday afternoon clash at the MCG with a concussion after suffering a head knock during the Cats’ win over Brisbane in Round 6.
Stewart’s one of three changes to the side that beat the Lions, with Toby Conway and Jhye Clark omitted, making way for veterans Cam Guthrie, Rhys Stanley and Zach Touhy.
Scott said he won’t be looking to change his defensive structure significantly despite Stewart being sidelined.
“I’m not a huge believer in this idea that your best player goes out of the team, and you just bring up another guy who’s as well-equipped to play the role,” he said.
“I think that’s not being truthful.
“We completely acknowledge that there’s a gap there, and that’s going to be difficult to fill, so we’ll try to fill it by using a slightly different structure and different types of personnel rather than going like-for-like.
“It’s really dangerous to say we’ll just bring in a guy and ask him to do his role; I think that’s asking a bit too much.”
It will be the third time in a row that Geelong goes into a game against Carlton without Stewart, with the defender’s last clash with the Blues coming in 2021.
Scott said it gives him some confidence his defensive unit can for the vice skipper, which will need to compete against the likes of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
“We’re not overconfident,” he said. We’re really clear what a danger those forward half players, in particular, present; they’re really good players.
“But it’s not insurmountable; we have a lot of confidence in our overall team defence.
“It’s a challenge but one we’re looking forward to.”
Meanwhile, Guthrie will play his first game in over a year, overcoming a quad injury that has kept him out for the first six weeks of the season.
The 31-year-old lasted just a few seconds in a practice game against the Blues in February after a ‘flawless’ pre-season following a debilitating foot injury last year.
“We’ve deliberately held him back; he’s been in full training for well over a month with a plan to get him straight back into the AFL team,” Scott said.
“It’s been a well-thought-through process, and this has been the plan all along.
“You could say he hasn’t played AFL football for a long time, but that would be ignoring the pre-season and the preparation he’s had in the last six weeks in particular.”
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