“We expect them to play”.
With that comment, Geelong coach Chris Scott has given rise to hopes that star duo Tom Stewart and Bailey Smith will feature in Saturday night’s clash with preliminary final conqueror Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Vice-captain Stewart was subbed out of last week’s loss to St Kilda with a knee injury, while Smith was a late withdrawal with a calf issue.
In the short period the media was able view training this (Thursday) morning, Stewart spent the majority doing agility drills, with Smith joining in full training.
“As it stands at the moment, we expect them to play,” Scott said following the session.
“They’ll definitely be on the plane, and we wouldn’t do it unless we thought there was a really good chance they were going to play.
“I think you saw enough of Bailey to know he’s a lock unless something happens, and Stewie’s very likely, I would say, but didn’t do as much work as Bailey.”
Scott traditionally faces the media on the eve of a game, which was brought forward 24 hours with the Cats travelled to the Queensland capital tomorrow.
“It’s a bit unusual for us in our sort of workflow to be speaking to you today,” he said.
“Normally it would be 24 hours later and have a better idea, but we haven’t finalised our thinking as yet.
“We’ll do that this afternoon and then still have the 24 hours up in Brisbane to work out exactly what we do.”
With between 24 and 105mm of rain predicted to fall in Brisbane in the next 48 hours, conditions may play a role in the final decision on Stewart.
“To answer the question as honestly as possible and as expansively as possible, we consider everything,” Scott said.
“So if the conditions are different, then it will be guided more by a medical team and a little bit by Stewie as well.
“Because it is conditions – I won’t reference Stewie’s injury necessarily – but if you have a little bit of an ankle or something, sometimes the heavy conditions make it harder.
“I know the Gabba pretty well – it drains pretty well. I think the surface will be OK.
“But the main thing will be, like he’s either right to play or he’s not, and the conditions might be a one percenter at the end of the day.”
If Stewart doesn’t play, 296-game veteran Mitch Duncan, who made a rare VFL appearance last week, looms as the likely replacement.
“I’m not exactly sure where all the contingencies sit at the moment, so I couldn’t give an accurate answer” Scott said.
“But I’m happy to talk about Rhys (Stanley) and Mitch as often as you want to.
“They are good examples of guys that are fit, in good health.
“We’re going to use them more sparingly than they would like, but when they’re in a position to really impact.
“And that could be this week with both of them.”
Small forward Shaun Mannagh will spend another week in the VFL as he continues to build his fitness following an off-season foot issue.
“Personally, and I’m speaking just for myself, a couple of weeks out I was thinking this would be the week,” Scott said.
“(We have) just decided to give him an extra bit of time in the VFL.
“So here’s one who’s, like, he thinks he’s ready. I think he’s ready, but we’re going to wait.
“So again, likely he would play next week.”
However, after being a late withdrawal from the VFL win over Sandringham, former Carlton and Gold Coast player Jack Martin will again be sidelined.
“He’s quite away from AFL selection,” Scott said. “And we’ll just be thoughtful around when he plays versus when he trains.
“And hold me to it; we’ll be as transparent as we can possibly be around his return. But if you ask next week, it’ll likely be, “No. It’s the status quo”.
“We’re still sort of thinking about his preparation. But there’ll come a point in time where we’ll say, “OK. Now it is about performance”.
“And when he’s playing well enough, we’ll pick him. And I would expect that that will happen really quickly. Because when he plays, he plays well.”
Scott says he wants Martin’s impact to be “sustainable” during the second half of the season.
“But it’s even about future years as well,” he said.
“We didn’t bring him in as a sugar hit for the last half of this season. We’re thinking a bit more long term than that.
“We knew it was going to be a challenge, but we’re really optimistic.”
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