AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott says Cam Guthrie and Gary Rohan injuries are short-term setbacks

The luckless Cam Guthrie has another injury issue to deal with. Geelong coach Chris Scott sheds light on his blow and responds to the surprising omission of two Cats.

Cam Guthrie has an achilles concern. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Geelong coach Chris Scott classed the injury setbacks of premiership stars Cam Guthrie and Gary Rohan as short-term but said Guthrie’s could be sidelined longer as they manage an achillies issue.

Guthrie was substituted out of Geelong’s heavy loss to Gold Coast in the third quarter and will not face Greater Western Sydney on Saturday, while Gary Rohan (adductor) will also miss as the Cats look to break a three-game losing streak.

Unrestricted free agent Brandan Parfitt and reliable utility Mark O’Connor were surprisingly omitted from the line-up, with Scott saying they were both unlucky.

Champion Tom Hawkins will break Geelong’s games record in his return, with his partner in crime Jeremy Cameron (concussion), key defender Sam De Koning (hamstring) and veteran Mitch Duncan (managed) good to go after a week off.

Meanwhile, O’Connor’s will line up in his first VFL game since the start of 2022 on Saturday alongside Parfitt.

Young ruckman Toby Conway was given the nod over Rhys Stanley, who was managed last week and was not been named in the VFL, while emerging key forward Shannon Neale will play for the first time this year alongside Hawkins and Cameron.

Scott said Rohan was close to playing this week but the luckless Guthrie, who has played four games since returning from a quad injury suffered in the pre-season, may be held back.

Gary Rohan (right) was close to facing the Giants. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“We expect that they’re both short term issues. Gary was just a really acute adductor issue that was probably touch and go but discretion is a better part of valour there,” Scott said.

“Cam Guthrie just has an achilles issue that’s flared up a little bit that medical staff were really keen to get on top of, but they think that it’ll be short term.

“Although having said that, he does need some continuity in terms of his training and playing, so while we’re pretty confident he’ll get back, we just need to be thoughtful about his reintegration. Because we don’t want him missing too much training and if games get in the way of that, then we’ll hold him back.”

Parfitt had been a shining light since coming into the side to replace Patrick Dangerfield after his first hamstring setback, ranking 11th in the competition for tackles per game with 6.9 and averaging 18.4 disposals and 5.2 clearances.

Scott confirmed that second-year Cat Jhye Clark will return to the starting 22 after backing up a quarter-and-a half in Darwin in a half with 27 disposals and two goals in an impressive showing in the VFL last Saturday.

Scott wouldn’t share the reasons for Parfitt and O’Connor’s axing, but said it is a testament to their improved midfield group.

Brandan Parfitt has been dropped. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“I don’t talk about those things publicly, that is a private conversation,” Scott said.

“What I will say is it is a little hard on those guys, which speaks to our midfield depth in particular, we have made a call this week that we think is right for the team, but it doesn’t reflect necessarily even what we think is our best 22 into the future – we find that hard to predict,” Scott said.

“The thing that excites us is we aren’t going into these going, ‘it has to be Guthrie and Dangerfield that get us through’, it is almost a silver lining that we don’t have those guys so others get the opportunity to stand up.”

But he said tightening up in the midfield will be a focus, with the Cats drilling down on this and their overall defensive structure during their extended break since last Thursday’s defeat.

The Cats have been the third worst defensive team over the past month according to Champion Data after ranking first in this area over the first six rounds.

Scott put that down to what is happening up the field, rather than in their defensive 50.

“Even going way back as far as the Carlton game, that we were good enough to win, we’re still minus 20 odd inside 50s and that’s just not a sustainable way of playing the game in general, but in particular the way we want to play,” Scott said.

“I think if you had to prioritise the most important thing, defensively for us is how we go around the contest. And that’s not just stoppages, but how we defend our turnovers.

“If anything we will just be a bit more focused on getting our stuff right.”

Originally published as AFL 2024: Geelong coach Chris Scott says Cam Guthrie and Gary Rohan injuries are short-term setbacks