Geelong will seek to bolster its hopes of a top-two finish without Patrick Dangerfield after the captain was left out of the clash with Essendon.
Dangerfield will be managed as the Cats attempt to overcome a short five-day break leading into Friday night’s contest at GMHBA Stadium.
It allows the 35-year-old veteran to freshen up before clashes with Sydney and Richmond that will determine Geelong’s spot on the finals starting grid.
“We’ll take him out,” Cats coach Chris Scott said.
“It gives him a chance to have a good training block, but obviously we have a shorter break going into (Friday night).
“Then we have a longer break; we don’t play until Sunday week in Sydney.
“That was what we thought was the best plan for him.”
Mitch Knevitt is set to replace Dangerfield in Geelong’s starting line-up, with all eyes on Jeremy Cameron as the spearhead edges closer to a rare century of goals.
Cameron kicked six majors in last week’s thumping of Port Adelaide, following a career-best 11 in the demolition of North Melbourne.
It took his season tally to 75, one shy of the career-best 76 he kicked at GWS in 2019.
Scott admits his players are going out of their way to help Cameron become the first player since Hawthorn’s Lance Franklin to kick 100 goals in a season.
But the two-time premiership coach doesn’t yet see it as an issue.
“Our players are smart and we do want to get him the ball,” Scott said.
“Do we want him to get the ball a little bit more because he’s getting closer to the hundred? Probably.
“When we see the point where we think it’s hurting the team, we’ll address it. But I don’t think we’re quite at that point.”
Fourth-placed Geelong (14-6) has a favourable draw in the run home and is a huge chance to break into the top two.
The Cats entered round 22 one win behind top sides Adelaide and Collingwood (both 15-5) and just two points shy of third-placed Brisbane (14-5-1).
“All the teams in contention now would be focusing on getting themselves in as good a shape as possible, so this is just another opportunity,” Scott said.
“It’s hard to recreate some of the things you want to work on at training, so the opportunities to get your game in good order are running out.”
Essendon (6-13) is aiming to snap a nine-match losing streak and recalled Jye Menzie in place of Oskar Smartt.
The Bombers have not beaten Geelong at Kardinia Park since 1990, but did defeat Gold Coast there in 2021 – one of just five trips to the venue in the last 35 years.
