AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott says Toby Conway and Shannon Neale will face Gold Coast

Geelong coach Chris Scott will give some young talent an opportunity with several key players out. See the ins and outs for round 10.

Toby Conway is back for the Cats. Picture: Getty Images

Geelong will rest veterans Rhys Stanley and Mitch Duncan for the Cats’ clash with Gold Coast at TIO Stadium on Thursday night, with two key midfielders and young talls Toby Conway and Shannon Neale recalled.

Stanley was tactically subbed out of the loss to Port Adelaide midway through the second quarter – the earliest recorded tactical sub since the start of last year – while Duncan tallied 21 disposals and six marks.

But Stanley was managed rather than dropped, with ruckman Conway to replace him after recovering from a minor hip flexor setback.

With experienced Gold Coast ruckman Jarrod Witts also rested by the Suns, Conway will take on a more favourable match-up in Ned Moyle.

Stanley and Duncan join fellow premiership stars Tom Hawkins (managed) and Jeremy Cameron (concussion) as withdrawals.

Toby Conway arrives at Darwin airport. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Neale will help fill the void of Hawkins and Cameron in attack, while Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes will bolster Geelong’s midfield up against the might of Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Touk Miller.

Bruhn missed last week with a shoulder injury and has recovered after being listed as a test on Tuesday, but Zach Tuohy, who was managed last week, has been listed as an emergency.

While the Cats considered playing Hawkins after Cameron’s concussion diagnosis, Scott said they opted to stick to their initial management plan for the champion goalkicker.

“Rhys (Stanley) won’t play, we are going to manage a few out as we have done for most of the year. Tom Hawkins was earmarked post-game last week, Mitch Duncan hasn’t made the trip and neither has Rhys Stanley, so we will have a few changes,” Scott said.

“But it is exciting too, we have got a couple of guys who will come back in fresh and some guys that we have earmarked for quite a while who we think are suited to these conditions.

(Conway) will almost certainly play. He was actually planned to play last week but he had this hip flexor issue that was probably touch and go but we don’t take any risks with any of our players but Toby is right up at the top of the priority list when it comes to being a little bit careful.

“Shannon Neale is someone we have been trying to get into the team for quite a while – he came in against North Melbourne and played really well, well enough to hold his spot but Hawkins came back in the next week.

“We have worked really hard with our list management to build what we think is a deep list and ideally we are getting to the point while we would like to have some guys in the team, their replacements offer something really valuable as well. We think that’s the case this week.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott says Toby Conway and Shannon Neale will face Gold Coast