By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
IT’S ONE of those rivalries where the games always seem close, notwithstanding ladder positions.
Carlton is holding up the ladder while Geelong, at three wins and four losses, is still in touch with the eight.
But none of that will have any relevance when the sides run out onto Etihad Stadium for round eight tonight, declares Cats coach Chris Scott.
He expects the good Carlton to turn up.
“We look at where they played well. Recent history suggests close games and they have a number of high-quality players who have played well against us in the past,” Scott told this week’s media conference.
But Geelong’s lapses were still a concern to the coaching staff, he admitted.
While conceding the lapses were more obvious in the second half of games, he maintained that the inconsistency was across the entire four quarters.
“It’s a challenge for all teams, it’s so close, and we are seeing ebbs and flows.”
An earlier-than expected return of veteran James Kelly could boost Geelong after his delicate surgery two weeks ago, Scott said.
“James Kelly is a chance. The likelihood is we’ll put him in the squad.
“It’s a pleasant surprise – we need a few of them.”
Scott said Andrew Mackie was “more likely” to play senior footy this weekend and expected Tom Hawkins to be back after withdrawing with glute soreness against the Swans.
But Scott admitted the long-term foot injury to emerging midfielder Mitch Duncan was a significant blow.
“It hurts the team in the short-term because he’s been one of our best players but it also hurts the team longer term as well because he’s such an important part of that developing midfield that we have.
“He’s established himself as one of the really good players in the competition.”
Scott also addressed the issue of the competition for spots in the best 22 between veterans like Jimmy Bartel, Kelly and Mackie and young guns like Jackson Thurlow, Cory Gregson and Darcy Lang.
He conceded making a selection decision on young versus old could happen this season.
“Those guys are in our best 22 at the moment. They’ve been unavailable and when fit and available they are in our best team,” Scott affirmed.
“What it means for the next three and five years is a different question.
“We’ve been clear that at some point we’re going to have some champion players come to the end of their careers.
“Exactly how it plays out is different for every individual. It becomes a bit more topical when you have a big group of them.
“How do you handle that number of players as opposed to just individuals? We’ve been weighing those questions for some time.”
