Joel Selwood expected to headline Geelong stars to return in second Marsh Series match against Essendon
Geelong has wasted no time moving on from its poor pre-season showing against wooden spooner Gold Coast as it prepares to welcome back a host of stars for its next pre-season match.
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Geelong says it will be unrecognisable from the team smashed by wooden spooner Gold Coast on Saturday night with a fleet of stars set for imminent returns including Joel Selwood, Mitch Duncan and Jack Steven.
The Cats plan to put in a full dress rehearsal for Round 1 against Essendon in their final hitout on March 9 and expect more than half a dozen first-choice players to return.
They will be led by captain Joel Selwood, with football boss Simon Lloyd telling the Herald Sun he had enjoyed one of his best pre-seasons ever after hamstring tendon surgery.
The Cats expect him to prove his fitness in three heavy training sessions in the next fortnight before the Marsh Series clash.
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Jack Steven (calf) is also set for his first contest in Geelong colours in that Colac game after joining Luke Dahlhaus (groin) and Brandon Parfitt in a VFL scratch match on Saturday.
Mark O’Connor (turf toe) is back in full training and will slot into a Geelong defence that looked overwhelmed in giving up 37 scoring shots to the Suns.
The Cats are optimistic star wingman Duncan could also play in that clash against Essendon after hip surgery but he seems more touch-and-go than Steven and inspirational captain Selwood.
It means Geelong is well placed to hit its Round 1 clash against Grand Finalist GWS at Giants Stadium at full strength despite Saturday’s modest form.
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“For us the main thing is a lot of younger players got a taste of how quick AFL footy is,” Lloyd said.
“To Gold Coast’s credit they were very good but we are going to look very different in two weeks time with a lot of players coming back. We want to go into the Essendon Marsh 2 game very close to what we will look like in Round 1.
“At times where we showed good signs but we did have our first to fourth year players in the midfield and that’s all part of the planning.
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“But we should have most of our guys available against Essendon. It’s just dependent on how things go over the coming weeks with those heavy training sessions.”
Selwood battled through the 2019 season with hamstring tendinitis that hampered his ability to train, with Lloyd adamant the off-season surgery was a huge positive.
“Joel has had as good a pre-season as he has had. He has put in a large bulk of work and now he’s in main training and it’s just a matter of giving him what he leads going into Round 1. It had been something he had carried for a long time.”
The Cats have only a handful of long-term injuries including Jake Kolodjashnij (hip surgery) and Stefan Okunbur (achilles tear) as Nakia Cockatoo returns from his latest hamstring setback.
Off-season recruit Josh Jenkins had a modest Cats debut and the Cats looked slow at times in defence.
But with a midfield that was soundly beaten Geelong believed its issues were more concentrated in the middle.
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Top draft pick Matthew Rowell has further enhanced his claims for a round one debut with a solid display in Gold Coast’s pre-season win over Geelong.
Rowell picked up 20 disposals as the Suns claimed an impressive 17.20 (122) to 7.12 (54) win over the Cats at Metricon Stadium on Saturday. The 18-year-old was a bright spark throughout the match, in his second hitout against AFL opposition after playing in a scratch match last weekend against Brisbane.
Rowell was one of several recruits to do well in the Suns squad as they outran and outplayed the Cats.
Fellow draftee and best mate Noah Anderson kicked a goal in the third quarter and finished the game with 14 disposals.
There were also goals for fellow draftees Connor Budarick and Jeremy Sharp in the big win.
Ex-Richmond premiership player Brandon Ellis made his first appearance for his new club, picking up 22 disposals in a solid showing while former Adelaide midfielder Hugh Greenwood (25 disposals, nine tackles) showed some classy touches in his first game for the Suns as well.
Suns forward Alex Sexton was the leading goalkicker on the night, booting six majors.
Darcy MacPherson led the disposals for the game with 31 touches while Ben Ainsworth kicked a goal and made nine tackles.
The Cats fielded four players getting their first taste against AFL opposition but Ben Jarvis, Jacob Kennerley, Brad Close and Cooper Stephens all struggled to make an impact in a well-beaten team.
Gary Rohan picked up three goals for the visitors while Quinton Narkle had 26 disposals.
Gary Ablett also had a quiet night in his final visit to the Gold Coast, notching just eight touches.
Geelong’s final pre-season game will be against Essendon in Colac on March 9 while the Suns travel to Adelaide to play the Crows on March 6.
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