Geelong will look to weigh up resting senior players in the back half of the season should they have some sidelined players return in the coming weeks, with captain Patrick Dangerfield among those eyeing comebacks.
Dangerfield has missed the last two matches with a hamstring concern, with the Cats winning both games against the Western Bulldogs and West Coast.
A matchup with fellow flag contender Gold Coast threatens to snap Geelong's three-game win streak, however the Cats are likely to be buoyed by the return of their captain for the Kardinia Park clash.
Dangerfield trained fully last week to stake his case for a comeback game against the Suns on Saturday afternoon, with his coach noting after the win over the Eagles that he could've suited up for the trip to Perth.
"He trained fully during the week," Chris Scott said of his skipper's playing prospects.
"If this was our last game of the year, he would've played. So that gives us confidence he'll be right (to face the Suns).
"(He'll return) mainly as a forward, but you know me well enough I don't explain our plans to the opposition too often."
With Dangerfield nearing a return and Jack Bowes (hamstring), Jhye Clark, Jed Bews, Cameron Guthrie and Jack Martin potentially in the selection mix for the coming weeks, the Cats could be afforded the opportunity to rest some of their senior talent.
While not guaranteeing the chance to manage his men, Scott said it's something the club will look to do in order to best prepare for a long season.
"That's been our way for 15 years now," he said.
"I hesitate to talk about it too much, because it implies we think we're going so well that we start managing our squad.
"It's more a reference to most of the time we think that if you're going to be the best team at the end of the year, you're going to need 28-30 players playing at a high level throughout the year.
"We've got a couple of injuries and guys who will come back and force some decisions, but I don't think we'll be overly proactive in taking out our best players."
Premiership pair Rhys Stanley and Mitch Duncan are among the veterans who could be managed despite their promising form.
The senior duo weren't expected to be incumbents in Scott's side, but their form has proven to be a welcome selection headache for the Cats coach.
"We were quite open and transparent with them that early in the year we were going to prioritise younger players, but they've played their way into the team and become really important for us," he said.
"Every team at this stage of the year, even the clubs that are rebuilding a little bit, are trying to develop some depth in their squad.
"We've thought for a long time that the old guys have a role to play. I'm not saying it was our good work to get them back into the team, they played their way into the team and have been valuable for us."
Geelong face Essendon and Brisbane after their meeting with Gold Coast this week in their run to their mid-season bye.
