Star defender Tom Stewart will return from injury and livewire forward Shaun Mannagh will make his first AFL appearance of the season in Geelong’s crucial clash with Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium.
Vice-captain Stewart was a late withdrawal from last week’s loss to the Brisbane Lions with a knee injury suffered in the previous round’s defeat by St Kilda.
“I think I was clear last week that he was very close, which gave us supreme confidence that he’d be OK and nothing changed in his training early in the week to alter that thinking” coach Chris Scott said.
Mannagh has spent the past few weeks building fitness in the VFL after a navicular issue hampered his pre-season.
“Shaun Mannagh will come back into our team. (It took) a little bit longer than I would have liked, personally,” Scott said.
“But as we often do, we tend to be a bit cautious in that return-to-play phase. So he’ll be a good addition for us.”
Shannon Neale is also right to play despite being hampered by an ankle issue during the Lions clash that resulted in him flying home from Brisbane in a moonboot.
“He had a little bit of an ankle tweak last week, but was able to play at the game and actually pulled up really well.
“So he trained well yesterday and more than proved his fitness then.”
Scott also quelled any concerns about Jack Henry’s fitness, with the key back spending time having his footy worked on by medical staff on a massage table.
“He’s fine,” Scott said. I’m not exactly sure what his program was today, but as you know, it’s very individual for us today.
“I think he was on a table there at one stage, was he?”
However, young midfielder Mitch Knevitt (plantar fascia) will be missing after being a sub last week.
“It actually wasn’t the reason he was a sub last week,” Scott said.
“And the way it’s been explained to me is they would like to get on top of that, especially given the fact that he’s a young, developing player and it’s early in the season rather than having him push through.
“So it’s frustrating for him because he would be in our 22.”
Geelong will release its team for tomorrow night at 6:20pm.
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