Geelong coach Chris Scott has hinted at a quartet of players set to make their case for selection in the starting 22 for the second half of the season, while confirming there shouldn't be another late withdrawal of star midfielder Bailey Smith on Saturday.
Smith was named to play in Round 13's clash against the Suns but was pulled out on gameday as broadcast vision filmed Smith running through a fitness test pre-game and gesturing to a complaint in his hamstring.
The former Bulldog was put on ice for the match but is set to return against Essendon, with Scott having no doubts about the 24-year-old's availability.
"He'll play. As we forecast last week he was able to put in a good training session in and around the game last week," Scott said.
"We were confident he'd be playing, he's ticked every box this week, so he's good."
While Smith is the only named inclusion in this week's line-up, Scott is expecting multiple players to be pressing for selection in the coming weeks, as competition for spots heats up towards seemingly yet another finals campaign for the Cats.
Ollie Henry, Jack Bowes and Jed Bews have been named as emergencies and could all make their case for a call-up post-bye, while another Cats defender is set to push for a spot in the best 22 also.
"[Ollie Henry] and Jed Bews is in that category as well (pressing for selection). We have put a bit of thought into the possibility or the probability that we would get a bit of a squeeze in this part of the year," Scott said.
"We still have one or two that we are confident will come back into our team, Kolodjashnij is one that springs to mind that will come back as well. It is going to be a bit of a juggle.
"...We've always got the challenge of the carryover when the VFL team plays beforehand. We haven't absolutely made that decision yet, but I think it's unlikely Bowes will play (this week).
"...When I say we put a lot of thought into it, it is not necessarily that we have come up with great answers. It reinforces to us that we do need to manage our list, which has been our way for a long, long time.
"It just reinforced that the team we pick in any one week should not be read as what we think is our absolute best 22.
"It is very situational and does give some thought to the longer term."
