Geelong coach Chris Scott has indicated some key changes that are going to be made ahead of Geelong's Friday night Elimination Final clash against Carlton at the MCG.
Max Holmes, who has missed since round 19 with a fractured ankle; Oliver Wiltshire, who missed the Cats' last game with a foot sprain; and Mark Blicavs, who was managed, all look set for a finals return.
Scott says the selection squeeze is "still the hardest thing for me as a coach".
"I am really quick to find 28 or 30 players that we would love to play, and really slow to find the ones that have to make room," he said.
"It is the old adage of it is a good problem to have; I guess it sort of holds true, but it doesn't make it easy.
"My guess sitting here now would be, when we pick the team, we will go, gee, it is hard to believe we haven't got that guy in the team.
"I guess it is a sign of strength, but as I said, I find the interpersonal stuff as challenging today as I did in 2011. I was told it would get a little bit easier, but that hasn't been my experience."
Speaking on the potential return of Holmes, Scott assured fans that "he can play".
"He is at a stage where we can say yeah, he can play," Scott said.
"It is getting to the point where he just keeps doing what has been asked of him. He keeps hitting those milestones that the performance staff have been asking for.
"We train again today; I expect him to look really good. Then we will have to make an assessment after that.
"I have just been waiting on Max until it got to the point where he is within a week, a week and a half of playing. We are at that point now, so I am thinking hard without having come to a conclusion."
The Cats coach also touched on Carlton's form heading into the game on Friday night, believing their form is just as good.
"The momentum is inarguable, but ours is pretty strong too, he said.
"We have looked at the way they have shifted their game and look, in some ways, I looked at their team a long time ago and thought you have to respect their talent. They are pretty balanced across the board; it is not just that they are stacked in the midfield or that their backs are really strong, which they are.
"They are formidable; they have got a good record against us as well. I am certainly not running away from that.
"But at the same time, I have to be consistent. We are not looking at when we played them in 2023; the last one is pretty relevant and was a close game. I think they are playing better now, but so are we."
