Geelong rules defender Jed Bews out of Sydney clash

Geelong will not have its first choice match up for Tom Papley this weekend. And a third Cat has been revealed to have had surgery on Monday.

Jed Bews will not return to face Sydney. Picture: Brad Fleet

Geelong will not be able to call upon defender Jed Bews to curb Sydney goalkicker Tom Papley after the premiership Cat was ruled out of a return on Saturday night.

Bews will sit out a second match after he was concussed on Easter Monday against Hawthorn.

The reliable lockdown backman trained on Tuesday and would have cleared the mandatory 12-day concussion period and face the Swans but he will not be available and is in line to instead return against Essendon in round 7.

Tom Papley dominated against Richmond.

“He will be available the following weekend if he gets the tick off from the medical staff,” Geelong footy boss Simon Lloyd said.

The Cats will face a conundrum in stopping Papley without the natural match up of Bews, with Mark O’Connor a potential match up.

Papley dominated an important win over Richmond last week, booting six goals in a best-on-ground display.

In recent years, Geelong has sent Jake Kolodjashnij to dangerous Swan Isaac Heeney.

Geelong has been forced into two changes for the grand final rematch, with Rhys Stanley (fractured eye socket) likely to be replaced by Jonathon Ceglar in the ruck and Tyson Stengle (broken arm) set to be covered by Gary Rohan.

The sub last week in Geelong’s win over West Coast, Brandan Parfitt, will come under consideration to step into the 22, while Sam Simpson and Tanner Bruhn remain on the fringe of selection.

Tall forward Shannon Neale is also set for a stint on the sidelines after he had ankle surgery this week.

Neale rolled his ankle in Geelong’s VFL loss to Gold Coast in round 3 and after the injury didn’t heal as the Cats hoped, he was went under the knife in Queensland.

Shannon Neale. Picture: Mark Wilson

“He had that (surgery) on Monday and that successful so he will be back into the club this week,” Lloyd said.

“It just wasn’t getting to where it needed to get in regards to his recovery so all parties agreed the operation was the best way forward.

“Shannon is very important to us and where we are going as a football club so he hopefully will be back in no time.”

Neale joined fellow injured Cats Toby Conway and Flynn Kroeger in the interchange to help out with some coaching with the VFL side in recent weeks.

Track watch: What we noticed at Geelong training

As the excited Cats fans waited for the main course, it was a quiet entree in the blazing sun on Tuesday that could have been the most important for selection ahead of Saturday night.

As the players who took part in Sunday’s win over West Coast eased their way into a relaxed session in front of Cats fans enjoying the school holidays, those that didn’t play in the AFL were sweating it out in some small match play drills.

Gary Rohan dishes a hi-five. Picture: Brad Fleet

Among the group pushing through their paces was Gary Rohan, Tanner Bruhn, Sam Simpson, Brandan Parfitt and Jed Bews.

Bews sported a fluoro cap – a sign he was not to be tackled during drills – but moved without any worries as he closes in on clearing concussion protocols.

Jonathon Ceglar was also out on the track as the session got underway but he went back into the rooms when the drills kicked off, as he looms likely to replace Rhys Stanley against Sydney on Saturday.

Veteran Ceglar works to his own training program most of the time and his fellow ruck Toby Conway worked on some light tap work away from the group.

Conway is still coming back from a foot injury suffered over pre-season.

Simpson, Parfitt, Rohan and Bruhn all appeared sharp as they each eye Tyson Stengle’s (broken arm) spot in the side.

Eventually as the morning wore on, the big dogs did appear, with the senior Cats receiving a warm round of applause when they appeared on track.

After appearing to suffer a knee injury against West Coast, Tom Atkins showed no signs of discomfort during training, while Zach Guthrie and Jack Bowes watched on for most of the session.

Originally published as Geelong rules defender Jed Bews out of Sydney clash