Geelong left with 21 fit players, Julia Crockett-Grills sidelined for remainder of AFLW season

Geelong’s growing list of injuries will force the Cats to turn to top-up players as emergencies, as their slim finals hopes hinge on an all-important final round clash against top four Adelaide.

Geelong coach Dan Lowther says the growing injury list hasn’t yet affected on-field performance. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Geelong will go in confident it can defeat top four Adelaide despite a growing injury list forcing it to turn to top-up players as emergencies.

The Cats have the minimum 21 players fit for Friday night’s blockbuster clash at GMHBA Stadium, making one change with winger Julia Crockett-Grills ruled out for the rest of the season earlier this week with an ankle syndesmosis injury sustained early in their round 9 win against West Coast Eagles.

Brooke Plummer comes in for her third game of the season, after regularly being named in the emergencies.

Julia Crockett-Grills suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Eagles. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

First-year Cat Chantal Mason, who debuted in round 8, has also had her season cut short after the Cats confirmed a stress fracture in her foot, while Caitlin Thorne (hamstring) is also expected to miss the final round after she was a late out against the Eagles, with Abbey McDonald replacing her in the side.

But the Cats’ coaching staff have been forced to turn to their pool of train-on players when naming three emergencies, with Geelong VFLW player Poppy Schaap, along with Melanie Staunton (Carlton VFLW) and Scarlett Orritt (Essendon VFLW) the chosen three.

“We’ve got our list ready to play against the Crows which will be a really high, combative game,” Cats coach Dan Lowther said.

“We’ve got three or four players to select from in that space to be our emergency, really trusting in the fact if they were to come in they could come in and do the job for us and play a role for us against Adelaide.”

Caitlin Thorne was a late out against West Coast and will miss round 10. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

While the Cats were hopeful of Chloe Scheer returning by round 10, the star forward won’t play this season unless the Cats pull off a miraculous top eight coup, with the club requiring a win and losses from Melbourne and Essendon to clinch a post-season berth.

Though relatively healthy to the start the season — with the likes of some injured players in Georgie Prespakis and Amy McDonald able to make successful returns — the extent of the Cats’ injury list has blown out in recent weeks, particularly among younger players.

Though confident it hadn’t affected on-field performance, with the Cats winning three of their last four games, Lowther predicted finals would prove a different challenge.

“I don’t think we’ve felt the pinch of our injury list,” he said.

“If we were to continue to go forward into the postseason, there might be some issues around it then and other clubs are maybe in a similar boat.

“Our on field performance seems to still be progressing the right way, and we’ve had some strong wins over the last couple rounds, (the loss) against Richmond, a strong game.”

Originally published as Geelong left with 21 fit players, Julia Crockett-Grills sidelined for remainder of AFLW season