Geelong Cats 2023: Rhys Stanley and Gary Rohan to be assessed after suffering injuries in loss to Collingwood

Gary Rohan was subbed out and another important Cat was ruled out late in the game. But they may regain two stars — one of those in a surprise role.

Rhys Stanley is in doubt. Picture: Getty Images

Geelong may have more injury headaches to deal with as coach Chris Scott flagged forward Gary Rohan and ruckman Rhys Stanley will both need to be assessed after suffering injuries on Friday night.

Rohan was subbed out of the match with a hip/adductor issue in the second quarter, while Stanley was benched late in the match after battling hip and groin soreness in the second half.

But Scott said Tom Hawkins may return for their must-win clash against St Kilda after he was “close” to playing against Collingwood and raised the possibility of reigning best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie playing his first game back from a long-term toe injury as the substitute.

The experienced pair would give Geelong a welcome boost with the Cats needing to win their final two games to keep their finals hopes alive.

Gary Rohan went down into the rooms at quarter-time. Picture: Michael Klein.

He was then subbed out. Picture: Getty Images

“I thought Rhys Stanley was good in the first half, really dominant but he was a bit sore in the second half,” Scott said.

“He will need to be assessed, he came off late and didn’t go back on. So he and Rohan are probably the two, I think the only two that we will have to keep an eye on.

(Hawkins was) pretty close, I think we made the call relatively early that he wouldn’t play so it wasn’t a matter of sort of pushing him to the line. We have got a slightly longer week this week, an eight day break, to be perfectly honest I’m a bit out of the loop of where he is but my sense is he will be there abouts.”

Scott said Guthrie is set to play at either VFL or AFL level this week in his first game since round 6, but conceded there is some risk in starting him in the green vest.

“We are thinking through a few options with Cam, I think it is likely that he will play footy at some level. It has been a long way off but, as we tend to do with guys who have had a long time out of the game, especially with a foot injury that didn’t allow for much running early in the piece,” Scott said.

“He has trained for a little bit longer rather than getting back into games a bit quicker so that might give us the options to push him a little bit harder this week. Exactly what that means I’m not quite sure.

“(Playing him as the substitute) is one of the things that we are thinking through that maybe, there are risks associated with that as well.

“Even talking about it now it could sound like a bit desperate that we are just going to throw him back in the team. I am genuinely not feeling that way, we’ve just got to find a way to play our best quarter by quarter. I don’t think we can expect him to come in and fix any of our problems.”

Cameron Guthrie could be the sub this week. Picture: Getty Images

Stanley shapes as the biggest hole to fill if he isn’t passed fit given back-up ruckman Jon Ceglar remains on the sidelines, with Collingwood big man Mason Cox winning 52 hit-outs against Geelong’s VFL side on the weekend.

Promising young ruck Toby Conway returned from injury last month through the VFL but hasn’t featured in the past three weeks.

It means the Cats may have to get creative, with round 22 inclusion Shannon Neale, who was solid with 10 touches and 12 hit-outs in a forward-ruck role, shaping as the best option if Stanley misses.

Athletic swingman Esava Ratugolea could also be taken out of his key defensive post to support Neale up against Rowan Marshall.

Originally published as Geelong Cats 2023: Rhys Stanley and Gary Rohan to be assessed after suffering injuries in loss to Collingwood